KATHMANDU, July 19: The graph of COVID-19 has been on the rise for a week. The new cases of COVID-19 that was recorded at 100 on July 10 was almost five times higher on Monday with the country recording 457 new cases.
Similarly, the number of active cases that stood at 678 on July 10 has climbed to 1,776 on July 18. On July 17, a person succumbed to the flu-like infection while today saw another COVID-19 related fatality.
The infection rate has been spiking steadily since the beginning of July. On July 11, 168 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, on July 12, 177 new cases while 206 were recorded on July 13, 260 on July 14, 229 on July 15.
Likewise, 205 new cases of Coronavirus infection were recorded on July 16 and 135 on July 17.
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The infection rate that was 0.5 percent has reached 9.82 percent at present. Kathmandu has over 500 active cases of COVID-19.
“The active and new cases of COVID-19 in Nepal were on rise alongside the increase of the infection in India,” said Dr Chuman Lal Das, Director at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.
Dr Das further added, "COVID-19 infection is rising in India daily. Thousands of people are entering Nepal from India through the Nepal-India border. Infection has been detected on those entering Nepal from those border points. Those people are spreading the infection."
He said that lack of enforcement and adherence to public health criteria and health safety protocols, COVID-19 infection was going up in Nepal. The government has advised all to wear masks, avoid crowds, wash hands with soap and maintain physical distance among others to prevent COVID-19 spread.
The study of gene sequencing in Nepal showed that BA5, the sub-variant of Omicron, has been detected in Nepal. This sub-variant is highly contagious. Dr Das said that hospitals and labs would be kept in standby mode with the increasing cases of COVID-19 in the country of late.
Dr Manisha Rawal, Director at the Sukraraj Tropical and Communicable Diseases Hospital, shared that patients started coming for treatment at the Hospital last week.
The Hospital recorded its first COVID-19 patient in late June since the third wave last February. A total of five COVID-19 patients were being treated at the Hospital at present. Among them, one is availing treatment in ICU facility while remaining four are in regular cabin.
(RSS)
