COVID19
2 MIN READ
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Finance minister Yuwaraj Khatiwada said on Thursday that the government would soon take an appropriate decision regarding the lockdown after carefully weighing the risks. During a press conference, Khatiwada announced that the government would take decisions only after consulting all sides.
Nepal has remained in strict lockdown, with severe effects on the economy, since 24 March. The government has come under pressure to rethink the ban as thousands of people continue to flock out of Kathmandu due to hunger and sheer desperation. More than 15,000 people have left after the lockdown despite resistance from the local government.
The total number of Covid19 cases reached 47 on Thursday after two more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The newly infected include a 55-year-old woman from Udayapur and a 14-year-old boy from Sarlahi, according to Bikash Devkota, spokesperson from the Ministry of Health and Population.
The boy had recently returned from India and was hospitalised with flu-like symptoms. Authorities have started tracing other people who might have come in contact with both. Meanwhile, the government has sent a fresh supply of medicines and Covid19 kits to Udayapur.
According to MoHP, nine Covid19 patients have been sent home after successful recovery.
On Thursday, the Nepali Congress urged the government to release former secretary Bhim Upadhyay who was arrested a day earlier for allegedly spreading false information through social media. In a statement, NC leader Bahadur Singh Lama described Upadhyay’s arrest as an infringement on his constitutional right to the freedom of opinion.
The Kathmandu District Court granted permission to keep Upadhayay in police custody for investigation for upto three days. Upadhaya was arrested under the Electronic Transaction Act 2063 that has been repeatedly misused by the government to clamp down on dissidents.
Samajwadi Party and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, the third and fourth largest party in the federal parliament and coalition partner in Province 2, have merged to become Janata Samajwadi Party. The party was registered with the Election Commission on Thursday, hours after the two parties merged into a single political entity, in a dramatic turn of events.
The parties hastily concluded the merger amid reports that some leaders of Samajwadi party were planning to split, taking advantage of the new legislations on the formation of political parties pushed through ordinance earlier this week.
JSP leaders have accused prime minister KP Sharma Oli of abducting one of their leaders in order to initiate the split.
South Asia is expected to see an estimated 22.1 percent decline in remittances in 2020 due to the economic crisis induced by the Covid19 pandemic, according to the World Bank. More than 5 million Nepalis work in various countries across the globe and remittances, coming mainly from India and the Gulf, comprise 30 percent of Nepal’s GDP.
“The projected fall, which would be the sharpest decline in recent history, is largely due to a fall in the wages and employment of migrant workers, who tend to be more vulnerable to loss of employment and wages during an economic crisis in a host country,” WB has said in a statement.
::::::::
The Record We are an independent digital publication based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Our stories examine politics, the economy, society, and culture. We look into events both current and past, offering depth, analysis, and perspective. Explore our features, explainers, long reads, multimedia stories, and podcasts. There’s something here for everyone.
Explainers
8 min read
Acid attacks constitute one of the most brutal manifestations of deep seated patriarchy
COVID19
Features
4 min read
Poorer Nepalis with chronic diseases such as kidney ailments are struggling to afford and avail of medical care during the Covid-19 pandemic
COVID19
Features
3 min read
The infection count could double in 20 days--such numbers could break the country’s health system
Features
8 min read
Transgender individuals continue to face abuse at the hands of the Nepal Police
Podcast
16 min read
Marty Logan speaks with Nepalis about building a better country.
Features
8 min read
While the government touts its mega health-infrastructure plan, its mismanagement of the Covid crisis shows it will probably not be able to deliver on the plan’s promises
Features
COVID19
9 min read
Tuberculosis kills an estimated 17,000 people every year in Nepal, and with Covid-19 and the development of drug-resistant strains, this number is only likely to increase further.
Perspectives
6 min read
Following the Gurkha hunger strike aftermath, social media can be a receptive space for young people to engage with grassroots activism like the Gurkha Justice movement.