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Updated May 2nd, 2021 at 05:48 IST

Nepal's COVID cases show alarming spike as second wave fears rise; PM Oli issues warning

Coronavirus cases in Nepal more than doubled from 2,619 on April 24 to over 5,700 as of Saturday sparking fears of hospital beds running out in the country.

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
Nepal
(Image Credit: AP/Twitter/@kpsharmaoli) | Image:self
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The government in Nepal on Saturday expressed an alarm on the record-high surge in COVID-19 cases, speculating that the Himalayan country may be starting to witness a second wave. At a COVID-19 news briefing, Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population cautioned that the country recorded a total of 5,763 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the highest single daily figure since October last year when the maximum daily figure was 5,743 cases. Last month, in March, Nepal had recorded minimum coronavirus cases, that dropped to 47, however, in the last two weeks a sudden spike in infections, and rise in hospitalizations has turned a concern for the government.

According to an ANI report, the coronavirus cases in Nepal more than doubled from 2,619 on April 24 to over 5,700 as of Saturday. The rising trajectory has sparked fears of the hospital beds running out in the country.  The health ministry of Nepal on Saturday issued a stern warning saying that the cases were rising at a scale that the health system was not able to cope with. In a statement released by Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli’s office, Nepal’s government said: "Such a situation has arisen now that the patients cannot be provided care at the hospitals as they are running out of beds.” Such a harrowing situation was witnessed in Kathmandu-based Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital where an influx of patients has led to the scarcity of sufficient beds to treat the COVID-19 patients. 

"We have a total of 60 beds in our hospital but we are providing treatment to 78 patients at the moment," Sagar Kumar Rajbhandari, director of the hospital, told Xinhua on Saturday. "We have five beds in the emergency ward but there are 18 patients there including in the adjoining corridor waiting for the occupied beds to become vacant,” he continued. 

Lockdown in Kathmandu valley

In order to curb the rising infections, Nepal’s government on April 29 enforced a nationwide lockdown across Kathmandu valley, and many restrictions similar to lockdown were effective in different parts of the country. “We should be protected from COVID-19; the COVID protocols and measures introduced by the Government should be followed and defend own self as well as others,” PM Ali had told a news conference, adding that people had to remain cautious and follow  COVID-19 protocols as the second wave of infections was hitting the country. 

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Published May 2nd, 2021 at 05:48 IST

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