BAITADI, Jan 7: Far Western Province is reporting an increasing number of COVID-19 lately in wake of a rapid spread of the COVID-19 infection with Omicron variant in India’s New Delhi.
According to the Health Directorate, COVID-19 was detected among the majority of Nepalis returning home through various checkpoints in Far Western Province.
The province confirmed 120 cases of the coronavirus infection on Thursday while only 55 cases were detected last Wednesday. There were 40 new cases confirmed last Tuesday, 28 on Monday, and five on Sunday.
A large number of Nepalis migrant workers are entering Nepal from Jhulaghat in Baitadi, Pulghat and Jauljivi in Darchula, Gaddachauki in Kanchanpur, and Trinagar in Kailali in the province on a daily basis.
High caution seen in Far western Province after rise in COVID-1...
The province is at high risk of infection with the Omicron variant with growing numbers of Nepalis returning from Delhi and States such as Karnataka and Gujarat in India having higher infection with the same variant.
Health checkups at the checkpoints have been stepped up while antigen tests are being conducted on the persons entering Nepal, shared Yogesh Prasad Bhatta, chief of Health Office, Baitadi.
Bhatta shared that antigen tests were conducted at the bordering points to prevent the risk of COVID-19. "Those testing positive for COVID-19 are sent for treatment at home-isolation."
The District Administration Office Baitadi has urged people to mandatorily abide by the health safety protocols in public transport, schools, and in places where there is crowding.
Sudurpaschim Province Health Directorate's COVID-19 Contact Person Hemraj Joshi said the vaccination program against the coronavirus infection has been intensified in view of the risk of the Omicron variant.
"Arrangements have been made for conducting tests and vaccination of persons entering the province from India through various border transit points as the province is at high risk," he said, adding that the vaccination campaign has also been intensified for the prevention and control of Omicron. More than 50 percent of the population in this province has been vaccinated.
In addition to this, arrangements have been made for more effective health screening and holding centers at the border checkpoints by mobilizing medical teams.
The Directorate said prevention of the infection is quite challenging due to the open border with India. As many as 48,519 people have tested positive for the coronavirus out of the 435,725 samples tested in the province so far. Six hundred and fourteen people have died due to the coronavirus infection.
PCR tests are done at eight different laboratories while antigen tests are done in all the districts of the province.
There are 392 isolation beds, 135 HDUs, 126 COVID HDUs, 63 ICUs, 48 COVID ICU beds, 45 ventilators and 26 COVID ventilators kept in ready position in the province. The vaccination campaign against the coronavirus infection is underway in all the districts at present and the local governments have been urging their citizens to take the jabs.
