Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali on Monday said the risk of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country is beyond the prediction of the government.  Minister Gyawali’s remarks come at a time when the daily count of new COVID-19 cases is on the sharp rise.

Addressing a press conference organized to publicize cabinet decisions, Minister Gyawali said it is too early to say how long this situation would last as infection rate is escalating at an alarming rate. “At this hour of health crisis, we should all exercise high levels of precaution,” he said.

 President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Monday authenticated two ordinances at the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. The president, in accordance with Article 114 (1) of Nepal’s Constitution, endorsed ‘Ordinance to amend Criminal Offence and Criminal Procedures Act, 2020’ and ‘Ordinance to regulate acid and other harmful chemicals, 2020’,  according to a press statement issued by the Office of the President.

The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has written to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to carry out detailed investigations on the companies that are found involved in the member-based network businesses. According to the officials, the regulatory body requested the CIB to investigate 21 companies and 50 individuals on suspicion of their involvement in the network marketing businesses. The department initiated the move after it received complaints against the companies and individuals.

Youth staged a demonstration in Kathmandu, demanding a stringent punishment against the rapist and murderer of 12-year-old Samjhana Kami from Bajhang. In a protest rally attended by the students affiliated to the sister organizations of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC), the participants urged the government to bring the perpetrators to book while condemning the heinous crime.

Since the detection of the first case of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on January 24, as many as 74,745 cases linked to the virus have been confirmed in Nepal as of Monday afternoon. According to daily updates released by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), 1,351 new infections were reported in the past 24 hours alone.

The chairman duo of the ruling Nepal Communist Party KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal are working to finalize the names of the leaders to be inducted as ministers in the Oli-led cabinet. The two NCP chairmen, however, are yet to finalize the names of the new ministers.

The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) has imposed a ban on nine brands of hand sanitizers on Monday after finding inadequate concentrations of methanol in them. A testing conducted at the National Medicine Laboratory, the DDA found that hand sanitizers produced by nine companies contained a high amount of methanol, which could pose a health risk to users.

 
• COVID-19
 
• Onion
 
• Nepal
 
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• rape
 
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