Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring, Nepal (September 1, 2021)

Emerging Theme(s):

• Nepal reported 1,523 new COVID-19 patients, 20 deaths on August 31; number of patients with complaints of headache has increased in Nepal amidst COVID-19 pandemic with 2,844,593 having visited hospitals in last fiscal; experts have cautioned even those fully vaccinated to be careful as vaccine does not provide complete protection against COVID-19
• Antibodies in 68.6 per cent of the population does not mean we are close to herd immunity, say health experts
• Gene sequencing machine at National Public Health Laboratory remains unused 7 months after being brought to identify new variants of COVID-19
• Healthcare workers in remote villages of Baitadi, Bajura walk hours carrying vaccines to immunize local residents there as roads have been blocked due to floods, landslides
• Nepal in geopolitical bind as United States and China continue to spar over coronavirus origins
• India may soon be exporting COVID-19 vaccines as it has inoculated more than half its adult population, production of vaccines have gone up

Recurring Themes(s):

• Schools in Kathmandu’s Gokarneshwor Municipality, Baglung have reopened holding physical classes for students; Humla District COVID-19 Crisis Management Center has authorized all 7 local levels to reopen schools