What do CDOs saying about the Valley lockdown
KATHMANDU: DEC. 7 – With the discovery of two infected Omicron variants in Nepal, the general public has started expressing interest in possible restrictive measures, especially in the Kathmandu Valley.
Some people are alarmed at the potential for lockdowns, as experts suggest that public health standards, including social distance and the use of masks, need to be tightened again.
A 66-year-old foreigner who entered Nepal from the country where Omicron was found on Nov. 19 and another 71-year-old man who came in contact with him were found infected, the Ministry of Health and Population said on Monday. The Omicron variant, first discovered in South Africa, has so far spread to more than 40 countries, including India.
What do CDOs say?
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kathmandu Valley’s district administrations of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur have been working together to manage and prevent it.
Chief District Officer of Kathmandu, Govinda Rijal, said that they have taken the discovery of Omicron infected in the valley as “serious”.
“We will have a meeting of the District Covid Crisis Management Center soon,” he said, “and we will come to a resolution on what preventive steps should be implemented on our behalf.” As in the past, the issue of whether or not to lockdown will be determined by the state of infection said Rijal.
“If the number of affected persons grows and we need to take different punitive actions to manage it, we can implement lockdown. However, it does not appear that a lockdown or restraining order will be imposed immediately now “He continued. However, Rijal stated that informal preparations have begun to deal with the potential disastrous circumstances in the coming days.
Rudra Devi Sharma, the Chief District Officer of Bhaktapur, stated that conversations are taking place among the CDOs of the Kathmandu Valley’s three districts about the new developments.
“It merely came to our attention at the time. Prior to it, infectious disease doctors, public health professionals, and other parties will be engaged, according to Sharma. He did not rule out rapid lockdowns on complaints from experts who have failed to comply with public health norms.
“Strict measures can be implemented. Adherence to public health standards is one of the most effective strategies of control. We will undoubtedly implement a policy in response to the spreading virus “Sharma said.
Ghanshyam Upadhyaya, the Chief District Officer of Lalitpur, stated that preventive precautions had been done despite the fact that the Omicron detected in his district could not spread to other persons.
“The chief district officers of all the three districts are sitting formally / informally. Coordination is also being done with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health.
What has Nepal been doing lately?
Negative PCR findings are now required for anyone entering Nepal via international air and land ports. The Ministry of Health has indicated that if the complete dose of vaccination has not been provided and it appears suspicious, the details of the vaccine will be gathered and an antigen test will be performed.
According to the ministry’s co-spokesperson, those who tested positive for antigens would be subjected to PCR testing and gene sequencing of suspicious samples. On Monday, Sameer Kumar Adhikari stated.
Furthermore, he claims that testing has been done on the samples that have been positive for the past month.
-BBC (Nepali)
