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Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring, Nepal
Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring Nepal1
-Sharpening the COVID-19 Response through Communications Intelligence
Date: 25 January 2022
Kathmandu, Nepal
EMERGING THEME(S)
• Nepal reported 8 054 new COVID-19 infections, 4 deaths on 24 January; large number of youths infected with COVID-
19; infection rate has reached 60% in Lumbini Province, many households have members showing COVID-19-like
symptoms; risk of virus spreading high in Baitadi as people refuse to follow preventive regulations put in place; Dr Anup
Subedee says just 5-day quarantine is not sufficient, advises a negative Antigen Test report to come out of quarantine
• Services in hospitals across the nation affected as large numbers of healthcare professionals and hospital staff have
tested positive for COVID-19; Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital to restart COVID-19 vaccination drive
from 25 January after arranging for resources from health division of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Nepal Red Cross
Society
• 1 660 000 doses of Moderna vaccine arrived in Nepal on 24 January
• Epidemiology and Disease Control Division Chief cautions Omicron could mutate into a new variant if we are not careful
1This intelligence is tracked through manually monitoring national print, digital and online media through a representative sample selection,
and consultations with media persons and media influencers.
WHE Communications Intelligence 2RECURRING THEME(S)
• Bhaktapur pharmacies seeing a shortage of Cetamol; Gandaki Province facing shortage of pure Cetamol, but medicines
with Cetamol as one of its compositions easily available
• Ex-PM KP Sharma Oli has tested positive for COVID-19, during his premiership he often downplayed the coronavirus
ISSUE(S) IN FOCUS
Nepal recorded 8 054 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, pushing the nationwide tally to 918 448, while the death
toll reached 11 659 as 4 fatalities were recorded. Nepal's COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 89.7%, while the fatality rate
stands at 1.4%.2
A large number of youths have been infected with COVID-19 in Nepal, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.
According to the data of 15 January to 23 January, out of 77 698 infected, a total of 22 573 infected are from the population
aged 21 to 30, while 18 117 are from 31 to 40 age group.3
Omicron variant is responsible for 88% of coronavirus infections in Nepal. A whole-genome sequencing carried out
by the National Public Health Laboratory shows that out of 32 swab samples of infected people, 28 tested positive for the
Omicron variant.4
The rate of COVID-19 infection has reached 60% in Lumbini Province. Out of the total cases of infection, 5 036 are in home
isolation, 50 in institutionalized isolation, while 33 are undergoing treatment in the ICU and 1 in the ventilator. 5
2
THT Online
3
Ratopati
4
The Kathmandu Post
5
Onlinekhabar
WHE Communications Intelligence 3Many households in Lumbini Province have people showing COVID-19-like symptoms. But the general public has not visited hospitals as the symptoms are mild and no health complications are seen. The people are not terrified by the infection in the third wave nor are the infected being treated badly, like in the previous waves of the pandemic.6 The carelessness of people has not stopped despite an increase in the cases of COVID-19 infection in Baitadi. The District Administration Office has issued various restrictions to control the pandemic, yet no one has followed the rules, which has led to the COVID-19 patients in many households.7 It is not sufficient to stay in 5-day home isolation after being infected with COVID-19, says infectious disease expert Dr Anup Subedee. One has to opt for an Antigen Test and come out of the isolation only if the result comes back negative. But if one does not want to go for any kind of test, the infected person should stay in home isolation for 10 days, he said. 8 The health services in the big hospitals across the nation have been affected after healthcare workers including doctors there have been infected with COVID-19. The Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital has shut down 3 wards – where non-COVID- 19 patients were being treated – after more than 500 healthcare workers and other staff tested positive for COVID-19. Bir Hospital and Nepal Police Hospital have merged 2-3 wards to provide the healthcare service as they also lack human resources due to the infection. The Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital has stopped its vaccination drive, while the staff at the Armed Police Force Hospital are doing double duty.9 The Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital is set to resume the vaccination drive against COVID-19 from 25 January. It had suspended the vaccination after its staff tested positive for COVID-19. The vaccination is set to resume after human resources are to be arranged from the health division of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Nepal Red Cross Society.10 6 Kantipur 7 Nagarik 8 Setopati 9 Nayapatrika 10 Onlinekhabar WHE Communications Intelligence 4
The treatment in hospitals of Chitwan has been affected as the healthcare workers including doctors, nurses and technicians are getting infected COVID-19. More than 250 healthcare workers there have been infected since the beginning of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospitals have started to suspend certain services.11 More than 25% of healthcare workers working in different hospitals of Makawanpur have been infected with COVID-19. A total of 125 healthcare professionals have been infected since the beginning of the third wave of the pandemic there. 12 Around 300 doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have been infected with COVID-19 in Gandaki Province in the last 3 weeks.13 A total of 537 doctors and healthcare workers working in different institutions of Chitwan have been infected with COVID-19 as of now.14 A total of 1 660 000 doses of Moderna vaccine under the COVAX facility arrived in Nepal on 24 January. An additional 23 400 000 doses will arrive on 25 January.15 The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) has said the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which has spread across the world, can create a new variant, which is why one needs to be careful at all times. The more the Omicron variant spreads, the more risk there is for it to mutate into a new variant, warned Dr Krishna Prasad Paudel, Chief of EDCD. The mutant from the Omicron might be more complex and fatal than Omicron itself, he said.16 11 Kantipur 12 Kantipur 13 Setopati 14 Ratopati 15 Baahrakhari 16 Setopati WHE Communications Intelligence 5
There has been a shortage of Cetamol in the pharmacies of Bhaktapur. The shortage has been seen with an increase in the
cases of people suffering from fever and common cold – the demand for the medicine has increased but the supply is not
adequate to meet the demand.17
The pharmacists of Gandaki Province have said there is a shortage of Cetamol across the province. There is a shortage of
pure Cetamol only, but the medicines with Cetamol as one of its compositions are easily available, which is why people should
not worry about the medicine’s shortage, they have said.18
CPN-UML chair and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli has tested positive for COVID-19. Multiple people from Oli’s orbit
said that more than 50% of his private secretariat members have tested positive for the virus and that the party was a contact a
few days ago. Oli falls under the category of immunocompromised. He underwent his second kidney transplant in March 2020.
During his tenure as prime minister, Oli often downplayed the coronavirus, at times saying that the virus can be driven away by
sneezing or drinking turmeric water or gargling with guava leaf infusion. An aide to Oli said that he is fully vaccinated.19
The COVID-19 infection has been confirmed in 12 staff of the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, Social
Development Ministry, and Agriculture Ministry of the Sudurpashchim Province.20
OTHER(S)
National News
COVID-19: PREVENTIVE MEASURE & SUSPENSION OF SERVICES
17
Setopati
18
Nagarik
19
The Kathmandu Post
20
Onlinekhabar
WHE Communications Intelligence 6The Nepal Medical Association is set to start a call center from 25 January to provide COVID-19 related consultations. People can give a call at 1156 and get the consultation if they face any kind of problem.21 The government offices across the country have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the government offices have suspended all their services except for emergency service.22 The District Administration Office, Kaski has shut down all its services except for emergencies after its staff tested positive for COVID-19.23 After its staff tested positive for COVID-19, the District Administration Office, Gulmi has shut down all its services, except for emergency services.24 The District Administration Office Rasuwa has shut down all services after nearly 90% of its staff tested positive for COVID-19.25 After COVID-19 infection was confirmed in some staff members at the Land Revenue Office in Dhulikhel, the office has been shut down.26 The District Administration Office Banke has shut down all its services except for emergency services effective 25 January after its staff tested positive for COVID-19.27 The test to assess drunk driving in Kathmandu Valley will not be conducted for now except in special conditions due to the risk of the spread of COVID-19 infection, according to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division.28 The Madhyapaschim University has postponed all its exams with the spreading of the COVID-19 infection across the nation.29 21 Onlinekhabar 22 Nagarik 23 Onlinekhabar 24 Onlinekhabar 25 Ratopati 26 Ratopati 27 Onlinekhabar 28 Baahrakhari WHE Communications Intelligence 7
The Pokhara University has postponed all its pre-scheduled exams indefinitely keeping in view the increasing risk of the COVID-19 infection.30 The health desk at Babai, the border of Banke and Surkhet, has been shifted to Chhinchu due to lack of sufficient space at Babai. The health desk at Babai had come into the operation since the beginning of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Karnali Province government is preparing to make the holding center at Chhinchu, which is why the health desk has been shifted there.31 Caution has been practiced at District Jail Bharatpur with the increase in the risk of COVID-19 infection. The prison administration has stopped the meeting of the inmates with their relatives for now.32 Before the implementation of the odd-even number plate system in vehicles, we cut off many services in government and private sectors, says Rudra Devi Sharma, Chief District Officer of Bhaktapur. Likewise, social activities like weddings and others are also not being held at present, she said and added that the implementation of the odd-even number system helps in the control of the movement of such people who do not have work to go out. This rule not only reduces the number of vehicles, but also reduces the crowd of people out in public, she said.33 VACCINATION: DRIVE & STATUS More than 168 000 have taken the booster dose of vaccine against COVID-19 in Nepal as of now. The administration of booster dose has stopped in Kathmandu Valley after being run for a few days while it has begun in some districts outside of Kathmandu Valley.34 A total of 1 792 634 children have been administered the Moderna vaccine as of 24 January. The government has been administering the vaccine to children aged 12 to 17 in 57 districts. 35 29 Nayapatrika 30 Onlinekhabar 31 Setopati 32 Baaharkhari 33 Onlinekhabar 34 Ratopati 35 Baahrakhari WHE Communications Intelligence 8
The Lumbini Provincial government is preparing to administer the complete doses of vaccine against COVID-19 to all its citizens, according to Indrajit Tharu, Minister for Health and Population of the Province. He informed that they plan to complete the vaccination by the month of Falgun.36 GP Koirala National Respiratory Treatment Centre has started producing 100 cylinders of oxygen in a day in Shuklagandaki Municipality, Tanahun.37 A total of 55 oxygen plants are ready in the hospitals across the nation in the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 15 oxygen plants were being operated in the nation during the second wave. Now, even the broken down plants have come into operation after repair and maintenance work, while 40 new plants have been installed. The capacity of these plants ranges from filling 50 to 200 oxygen cylinders per day.38 An oxygen plant has come into operation at Bajura Hospital. As such, the oxygen required for COVID-19 patients in Bajura with respiratory problems can now be available within the district.39 The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to be more careful and sensitive in the health safety of its citizens with the onset of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The Chairperson of NHRC said the government should pay attention to issues like easing the access of vaccine to all citizens, the impact to exercise human rights with the introduction of the mandatory vaccine card in public places, shortage of medicines including Cetamol, the possibility of increasing crowd with the implementation of the odd-even number plate system in vehicles, and management of cross-border travel among others.40 36 Baahrakhari 37 The Himalayan Times 38 Nayapatrika 39 Nayapatrika 40 Onlinekhabar WHE Communications Intelligence 9
Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand has taken stock of the COVID-19 situation at the border points with neighboring India from chief ministers and chief district officers of various districts.41 Chief of Lumbini Province Amik Sherchan has taken a briefing regarding the steps taken by the provincial government to control and contain the COVID-19 pandemic in the province. He also urged the provincial government to work effectively for the control of the pandemic in coordination of all three levels of the government. 42 There is a lack of coordination between the local administration and local levels of Banke in the control and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic. The chief of the local levels did not attend the meeting of District COVID-19 Crisis Management Center (DCCMC). However, they claim DDCMC did not invite them to the meeting.43 The government in November 2021 allocated a quota of 16 270 households for the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to distribute a one-time cash grant of Rs 10 000 to the poor families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The KMC has received a negligible number of applications. “We have so far received recommendations for just 150 households from the ward offices,” said Bharat Oli, employment coordinator for the Prime Minister Employment Program at KNMC. But it received complaints against 3 applicants, so the number of households has further come down to 147, according to Oli.44 The government aims to achieve a 7% economic growth rate. But it will be difficult to achieve it as the government itself has started restricting economic activities due to the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The flow of cash in the market is slowing, says Dr Gobinda Raj Pokharel, former Vice Chairperson of the National Planning Commission. With the onset of a new wave of pandemic, impacts are being seen on domestic products’ access to market as well as in the production cycle of the country that would produce goods by importing raw materials from foreign countries, he added.45 41 Rastriya Samachar Samiti (in The Himalayan Times) 42 Nayapatrika 43 Nagarik 44 The Kathmandu Post 45 Onlinekhabar WHE Communications Intelligence 10
The number of air passengers has reduced in Nepal with the increase in COVID-19 infection. With this the airlines
companies have been reducing their flights and airfare. The flights have reduced by 10% this week, as per the Tribhuvan
International Airport.46
International News
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is postponing her wedding after announcing new COVID-19 restrictions on 23
January following the discovery of 9 cases of the Omicron variant in a single family that flew to Auckland to attend a wedding. 47
Hong Kong authorities said on 23 January one hamster surrendered to authorities by pet owners had tested positive for the
COVID-19 virus and that over 2 200 had been culled as the city grappled to contain an outbreak.48
46
Onlinekhabar
47
The Associated Press (in The Himalayan Times)
48
Reuters (in The Kathmandu Post)
WHE Communications Intelligence 11Contacts for further details Ms Tsering Dolkar Gurung NPO (Communication, Media, and Public Information) World Health Organization, Country Office for Nepal Gurungt@who.int WHO’s COVID-19 response in Nepal is made possible through the generous support of the Government of Canada. Reference Code: 22JAN25MM_118 WHE Communications Intelligence 12
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