Covid19: Nepal Covid 19 and Flood Response Situation Report No.XIX, as of 10 August 2020

The districts with COVID-19 positive cases has now decreased to 70 from 77, with 79 deaths. According to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), age group of 91 per cent COVID-19 cases ranged from 11 to 50; 84 per cent cases are men (MoHP).

Following the increase of COVID-19 positive cases after lifting of lockdown, the Government of Nepal (GoN) has imposed odd and even number plate system in districts with 200 plus active cases, except for essential services. The long route buses, domestic and international airport was scheduled to resume from 17 August, however, the Crisis Management Center (CCMC) has decided to recommend to the GoN not to immediately resume the services.

GoN has also urged senior citizens above the age of 60 and the children below 12 not to come out of their houses to avoid the risk of coronavirus infection. Nonessential services have been shut in some parts of Dhanusa, Parsa, Saptari, Sunsari, Banke and Morang Districts, among others.

A joint meeting of the Chief District Officers (CDO) of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur Districts decided on 7 August to open only essential services of the District Administrative Offices (DAO) for 15 days effective from 9 August (Press Note, 8 August, 2020).

The CDOs in Kathmandu Valley have decided to seal off places where active multiple COVID-19 cases are found, and convert existing quarantine centres into isolation centres as the number of cases is increasing in the valley. Similarly, local government offices in the valley have also decided to suspend non-essential services for three weeks.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown had caused a complete closure of about 61 per cent enterprises, leading to 73.8 per cent drop in the production and trade of goods and services in the country (A nationwide survey on the ‘Impact of COVID-19 on the economy’ conducted by the Nepal Rastra Bank).

The Insurance Board on 6 August, 2020 formally implemented the Coronavirus Insurance Programme announced by the GoN in the budget of ongoing fiscal year; GoN employees will get 100 per cent free subsidy and general public will get 50 per cent on the insurance policy of NPR 100,000 ( EUR 708) against the virus.

Locals of Birgunj, one of the COVID-19 infection hubs in the country, have staged a demonstration in the city protesting local hospitals’ refusal to treat patients of various diseases in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The MoHP has revised the "National Testing guidelines for COVID-19"; approved the treatment of COVID-19 suspected and confirmed cases at private hospitals that had not been included in COVID-19 designated hospitals' list. MoHP has also fixed the price of health care services per person per day at NPR 3,500 for cases with mild symptoms; and NPR 7,000 for cases with moderate symptoms (WHO Nepal, Situation Update #16).

A study conducted in 46 Community Disaster Management Committees across 5 districts report that 28 per cent observe competition to access essential items for sanitation and hygiene due to the market closures. Additional shocks and stresses such as the monsoon rains will further prevent peoples’ access and limit the ability to purchase essential items that help mitigate risks of COVID-19 (Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance, Avoiding a perfect storm: COVID-19 and floods in Nepal, June 2020).