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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: December 6, 2021
Kathmandu, Nepal
EMERGING THEME(S)
• Nepal reported 200 new COVID-19 cases on December 5; COVID-19 infection confirmed in 30 students and teachers of
Tribhuvan Secondary School in Paiyunpata, Baglung in Antigen Test
• Government set to provide the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine to those who’ve completed their vaccination at least 3
months ago; Health Minister Birodh Khatiwada has requested all eligible to get the booster dose; students aged 12-18
years will be given the COVID-19 shots in schools from January 2022; government is preparing to administer 200,000
doses of COVID-19 vaccine daily
• Stringent testing for COVID-19 at border checkpoints, people entering Nepal being given COVID-19 vaccine; risk of the
spread of infection of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has increased with cases being detected in neighboring India;
health expert warns caution as first and second waves were caused by cases entering from India; Nepal has banned
entry of travelers who’ve been in 8 African countries and Hong Kong effective from December 3 midnight
• World Health Organization Chief Scientist has urged people not to panic over the emergence of the Omicron variant of
COVID-19; measures used to counter Delta variant should remain the foundation to fight the new variant
• 7 shots used as booster dose in combination with AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech shots produced a strong immune
response, according to Lancet study
• Work on holding centers for COVID-19 suspects and infected remains incomplete, work began on the centers before the
onset of the second wave
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 2ISSUE(S) IN FOCUS Nepal on December 5 reported 200 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours taking the nationwide infection tally to 822,592. In its regular situation report, the Ministry of Health and Population did not mention the death toll over the past 24 hours. It, however, reported one COVID-19-related fatality. The countrywide death toll has now reached 11,541. The number of active cases stands at 6,507. Nepal on December 4 reported 220 new coronavirus cases and five deaths.2 COVID-19 infection was confirmed in 30 students and teachers of Tribhuvan Secondary School in Paiyunpata of Baglung Municipality in the Antigen Tests done on December 2 and 3. The test had been done in 100 samples. Preparations are being made to do the PCR tests of locals who have shown symptoms of COVID-19, according to Dev Prakash Ghimire, Spokesperson of District Health Office, Baglung.3 The government is set to provide the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to citizens who have taken their vaccine at least three months ago. The Cabinet meeting on December 2 decided to administer the booster dose to everyone who has taken the complete dose of the vaccine. Likewise, the process to procure an additional 10,000,000 doses needed to administer the booster dose, has also begun, according to the Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada.4 Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada has requested everyone, who has taken the second dose of the COVID- 19 vaccine, to take the booster dose. He has requested the people to take the third dose of the vaccine as booster dose and said it is necessary to take the third dose keeping in mind the risk of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic.5 The government is making arrangements at the district and provincial levels to give the booster dose within three to six months of taking the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to those with weakened immune systems, according to the Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada. 6 Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada has informed that students will be given the COVID-19 vaccine in schools 2 Kathmandupost.com 3 Onlinekhabar 4 Baahrakhari 5 Ratopati 6 Setopati WHE Communications Intelligence 3
from January 2022. The students aged 12 to 18 will be administered the vaccine in their schools. 7 The government is preparing to administer 200,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine daily. The Ministry of Health and Population has said it has made necessary preparations — of vaccine, immunization centers, and human resources — needed for the vaccination process.8 President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has discussed the control and containment of COVID-19 with Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada and high officials of the Ministry. She also said Nepal should learn its lessons from the past and practice caution immediately to be safe from the Omicron variant.9 There is no preparation regarding administration of the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to citizens in Nepal. Neither has the government made any formal decision or made any preparations public or conducted any discussions regarding the booster dose. The experts have been warning that there should be no delay in providing the booster dose. Those above the age of 40 should be given the booster dose immediately keeping in mind the risk of the third wave of pandemic due to the Omicron variant, they have said.10 A total of 62,800,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine — that comprises the vaccines that Nepal has received as of now and it will be receiving till mid Chaitra (end of March) — is sufficient to administer to the target population not only in two doses, but it is also sufficient to provide the booster dose. However, if the speed of the vaccination of the first and second doses is not increased and the administering of the booster dose is not begun, there will be a problem in the storage of vaccine doses in Nepal along with the risk of variants like Omicron, experts have warned.11 In order to check the risk of the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, tests have been made stringent in areas sharing the border with India. Along with maintaining caution at border checkpoints of Sudurpashchim Province, the vaccine is being 7 Baahrakhari 8 Setopati 9 Setopati 10 Kantipur 11 Kantipur WHE Communications Intelligence 4
administered to those entering Nepal. The vaccine is being administered from December 2 at the suspension bridge joining Nepal-India in Darchula to those entering Nepal. It is also being administered at the Gauriphanta border checkpost of Kailali.12 The doctors have said the risk of Omicron variant has increased in Nepal with the cases of people infected with this variant confirmed in India. According to infectious disease expert Dr Sher Bahadur Pun of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, as the infection had entered Nepal from India during the first and second waves of the pandemic, the risk is plausible this time too. As there was no stringent testing at border checkposts, in the past, the infection took the form of a pandemic, so it is very important to be cautious this time, he said.13 Nepal will ban the entry of travelers who have been in eight African countries or Hong Kong, to curb the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, a government spokesman said on December 3. The ban, which goes into effect at midnight on December 3, covers people who have been in or transiting through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Malawi, and Hong Kong.14 The Education and Health Committee of the House of Representatives has ordered the Ministry of Health and Population to start necessary preparations to protect the citizens from the Omicron variant. 15 The World Health Organization’s Chief Scientist on December 3 urged people not to panic over the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant and said it was too early to say if vaccines would need to be reworked. Speaking in an interview at the Reuters Next conference, Soumya Swaminathan said it was impossible to predict if Omicron would become the dominant strain. “How worried should we be? We need to be prepared and cautious, not panic, because we are in a different situation to a year ago,” she said. “Delta accounts for 99 per cent of infections around the world. This variant would have to be more transmissible to out-compete and become dominant worldwide. It is possible, but it’s not possible to predict.” 16 12 Kantipur 13 Nayapatrika 14 Reuters (in The Himalayan Times) 15 Onlinekhabar 16 Reuters (in The Himalayan Times) WHE Communications Intelligence 5
Measures used to counter the Delta variant should remain the foundation for fighting the coronavirus pandemic, even in the face of the new Omicron version of the virus, the World Health Organization officials said on December 3, while acknowledging that the travel restrictions imposed by some countries may buy time. “Border control can delay the virus coming in and buy time. But every country and community must prepare for new surges in cases,” Dr Takeshi, the WHO regional Director Western Pacific, told reporters. “The good news in all of this is that none of the information we have currently about Omicron suggests we need to change the directions of our response.” 17 Seven jabs used as boosters against COVID-19 mostly produced a strong immune response, though results varied depending on the vaccine combination, a study in the Lancet said on December 3. Patients in the study had been fully vaccinated either with AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech. They received a third jab either of those two shots or CureVac, Moderna, Novavax, Valneva or Janssen. Other participants received a placebo. In nearly all patients except for those who received a placebo, participants produced an increased antibody response — with the exception of initial vaccination by Pfizer followed by a Valneva booster, which showed no noticeable difference.18 Amid fears of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreading in Nepal, public health experts have stressed the need for a mandatory 14-day quarantine for everyone returning from abroad. However, the work on the holding centers that the government had decided to set up in all provinces mostly at Nepal-India border points before the start of the second wave in April have not yet been completed. And what is concerning is the authorities concerned have yet to find land for setting up a quarantine center in Rupandehi district of the Lumbini Province. “None of the holding centers has been completed yet,” Sunita Nepal, Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Crisis Management Coordination Center, said.19 The government has accelerated the construction of holding centers in eight places across the country to minimize the risk of COVID-19. Chief of Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma shared that construction process of seven holding centers has witnessed over 60 per cent physical progress till date. Each holding center will have 1,000 beds to temporarily house COVID-19 suspects 17 Agence France Presse (in The Kathmandu Post) 18 Agence France Presse (in The Kathmandu Post) 19 The Kathmandu Post WHE Communications Intelligence 6
and infected people. Due to lack of land in Rupandehi, holding center related works could not be taken forward, according to
the Ministry of Defense.20
OTHER(S)
National News
Nepal will receive 188,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine on December 3 from the COVAX facility, the international
vaccine sharing scheme backed by the United Nations. This is part of the 3,712,000 doses of Moderna vaccine committed by
the facility. 21
Nepal has received 25,470,630 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of now, out of which 17,026,338 doses have been used,
while 5,726,269 doses are in stock. However, there has been a huge difference in vaccine stock, expenses of the vaccine and
the report. As per the data available, there is a difference of 2,717,978 doses of used vaccine, according to the Ministry of
Health and Population. Health officials have estimated that the difference could be due to the unavailability of the report from
the local levels.22
The equipment needed to set up the oxygen plant at Gulmi Hospital in Tamghas has gone to rust. The process of installing the
plant in the hospital had started keeping in mind the risk of the COVID-19 infection. But the equipment rusted after getting wet
in the monsoon rain.23
The second phase of the Ring Road widening work involving the Kalanki-Maharajgunj section that remains disrupted due to
20
Rastriya Samachar Samiti (in The Himalayan Times)
21
The Kathmandu Post
22
Nayapatrika
23
Onlinekhabar
WHE Communications Intelligence 7the authorities’ failure to clear the physical and legal hurdles on the ground and the COVID-19 pandemic has become further
uncertain in the wake of global fears over the Omicron variant of coronavirus. The widening of the 8.2 km section is to be
carried out by the Chinese government. “it seems that the Chinese authorities are more concerned about the new variant, and
we don’t see any possibility of them coming and resuming the work anytime soon,” said Arjun Jung Thapa, Director General of
the Department of Roads.24
At a time when international tourists had finally started visiting Nepal with the control of the COVID-19 pandemic, the detection
of the Omicron variant had worried the tourism sector. They are worried that the tourism business might be affected again as
different countries have started putting travel bans for foreign nationals. 25
The month of November saw the highest number of foreign tourists visiting Nepal since the beginning of the COVID-19
pandemic — a total of 26,135 international tourists arrived via air in this month. This data of the Nepal Tourism Board had
indicated an improvement in the tourism sector for the future. But tourism entrepreneurs have expressed their concern as they
are worried that the Omicron variant might affect their business again. As many countries have started banning flights, its
impact might be seen in Nepal too, they have said.26
The global economy has been affected by the Omicron variant of coronavirus. There has been an obstruction in the supply
chain and trade with travel restrictions in place. Meanwhile, there is also a challenge of the cut of human resources and
management of liquidity.27
International News
India reported its first two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant on December 2, but the government said it had no
immediate plan to authorize booster vaccine shots despite demands from lawmakers in Parliament. The health ministry said
24
The Kathmandu Post
25
Nagarik
26
Nagarik
27
Kantipur
WHE Communications Intelligence 8that two male patients with the new COVID-19 variant, aged 66 and 46 years, were showing mild symptoms but declined to provide their vaccine or travel history, citing their privacy.28 India reported its third case of the Omicron coronavirus variant on December 4, government officials said. Officials in the western state of Gujarat said the patient who tested positive for the Omicron was a 72-year-old man of Indian origin who had lived in Zimbabwe for decades and returned on November 28.29 The mayor of Rio de Janeiro canceled New Year’s Eve celebrations after Brazil confirmed the first known cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Latin America’s biggest country. Eduardo Paes tweeted on December 4 that he would follow the recommendations of Rio de Janeiro state to cancel the celebrations despite the city’s own view to the contrary.30 A dentist in Italy faces possible criminal charges after trying to receive a coronavirus vaccine in a fake arm made of silicone. A nurse in the northern city of Biella, Filippa Bua said she initially thought the man was an amputee and had mistakenly offered the wrong arm. She lifted his shirt and saw a silicone arm. “I immediately understood that the man was trying to avoid the vaccine by using a silicone prosthetic, into which he hoped that I would inject the drug,” Bua said.31 Two hippos have tested positive for COVID-19 at Antwerp Zoo in Belgium in what could be the first reported cases in the species, zoo staff said. Hippos Imani, aged 14, and Hermien, 41, have no symptoms apart from a runny nose, but the zoo said the pair had been put into quarantine as a precaution.32 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is likely to lower its global economic growth estimates due to the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the global lender’s chief said at the Reuters Next conference on December 3 in another sign of the turmoil unleashed by the ever-changing pandemic. “A new variant that may spread very rapidly can dent confidence, and in that sense, we are likely to see some downgrades of our October projections for global growth,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told the conference.33 28 Reuters (in The Himalayan Times) 29 Reuters (in The Himalayan Times) 30 Agencies (in The Kathmandu Post) 31 The Associated Press (in The Himalayan Times) 32 Agencies (in The Kathmandu Post) 33 Reuters (in The Himalayan Times) WHE Communications Intelligence 9
Four days a week, no meetings, you choose the hours and work where you want. The coronavirus pandemic has sped up a transition into more flexible and diverse working hours around the world, opening up ways of working that were unthinkable just a few years ago.34 Global airlines are bracing for more volatility due to the Omicron coronavirus variant that could force them to juggle schedules and destinations at short notice and rely more on domestic markets where possible, analysts say.35 With Omicron so new, companies are struggling to understand how the variant might affect their operations and profits. Most have taken a wait-and-see stance as they weigh how fast the variant may spread and its potential harmfulness.36 Factories in Vietnam are struggling for staff after many migrant workers returned home when a coronavirus lockdown that had kept them in Ho Chi Minh City for months last year was eased, partner at venture capital firm Centro Ventures said.37 34 Reuters (in The Himalayan Times) 35 Reuters (in The Kathmandu Post) 36 Reuters (in The Kathmandu Post) 37 Reuters (in The Kathmandu Post) WHE Communications Intelligence 10
Contacts 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 Azerbaijan, the Government of Canada, UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), Government of Germany, and USAID. Reference Code: 21DEC06MM_083 WHE Communications Intelligence 11
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