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Nepal

Covid19: Nepal Covid 19 and Flood Response Situation Report No.XXI, as of 24 August 2020

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 The COVID-19 active positive cases have now increased to all 77 districts, with 157 deaths. According to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), age group of 86 per cent COVID-19 cases ranged from 11 to 50; 80 per cent cases are men (MoHP).

 Following the increase of COVID-19 positive cases, the Government of Nepal (GoN) through District Administration Offices has enforced partial and complete prohibitory orders Of the 48 districts, 35 have imposed lockdowns throughout the district including Kathmandu Valley while 13 have gone for partial orders in specific area of local units having high risk.

 The long route buses, domestic and international airport will be remain closed until 31 August, 2020.
The international flights that are scheduled to resume its service from 1 September, 2020, will only be allowed to carry Nepalese passengers and representatives of diplomatic missions, the United Nations and development partners, with restrictions.

 The daily arrivals, have been capped at 500 individuals. Regular flights to countries where PCR tests are easily accessible will be conducted in which an international airline will be allowed to operate only one flight a day to Nepal. All the passengers must bring a certificate of COVID-19 negative 72 hours prior to boarding the aircraft, barcode or print copy of the online form filled on the website of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre and stay at the hotel quarantine for at least seven days.

 The Nepal Health Research Centre has started preparing for clinical trials of investigational vaccines being developed against COVID-19 in Nepal. After getting a green signal from the MoHP on Sunday, the NHRC has started preparations for phase III clinical trials for vaccines – developed by researchers in different parts of the world and will only be tested based on the willingness (Media Briefing, MoHP, 24 August 2020).

 Following the increase of positive cases in a large number of medical workers’ health workers in Nepal are facing social stigmatisation by the locals in their residential areas. The GoN has strictly warned not to do such activities.

 The MoHP has decided to scrap the three-tier hospital structure for COVID-19 treatment.
According to the decision, Level One, Two and Three of the existing COVID-19 Hospitals have been scrapped and all the hospitals listed as hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 patients will treat both negative and positive cases.; 115 hospitals will now run fever clinics for screening and 49 hospitals will treat COVID patients. (News Report, MoHP Daily Briefing, 24 August, 2020).

 The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major socioeconomic effect on migrants. A recent survey found that 72,133 migrants belonging to 209 municipalities had requested assistance in returning to their respective municipalities. The individuals who had made such appeals had either lost their jobs or were on unpaid leave, and wanted to return home because of financial reasons or due to the COVID19-related stigma that they had been facing abroad. (Survey on the Returnee Migrant-focused Rapid Assessment on Impacts of COVID-19 and preparedness and response Plans of Local Governments, Nepal, IOM;730 municipalities; between 23 June to 8 July 2020).