Health Minister Bhanubhakta Dhakal has urged the people in Kathmandu Valley to remain careful warning that the Valley can face frightening surge of COVID-19 cases at any time.
He revealed that the government is preparing to move forward with a new strategy to control the outbreak in the Valley. "We are preparing to quarantine people coming from outside, enforce odd-even rule for vehicles and expand the scope of PCR testing," he stated.
He warned that the outbreak can become uncontrollable in the densely populated Valley. "It can be more explosive than that on villages or other cities if the outbreak were ignited in Kathmandu."
He claimed that the government can do 18,000 PCR tests a day and assured that at least 600,000 people will be tested across the country.
He pointed that infection can again surge due to lack of compliance with the standards set by the government. He added that risks have increased as movement of people has increased after relaxation of the lockdown while people are coming to Kathmandu even from hot-spots. "That people have come from places with infection has been proved after tests at the entry points found infection."
He opined that the government should closely monitor and evaluate the districts with high infection and impose district-wide lockdown. "Looking at the state of infection in Birgunj, it seems it should be sealed and movement should be totally stopped. We should also similarly make arrangements for home quarantine or local quarantine for those entering the Valley as random testing at entry points have found people with infections."
