LOGIN DASHBOARD

    COVID19

    News

    4 MIN READ

    Covid19 Roundup, 7 April: Oli defends govt, flight suspension extended & board exams postponed

    The Record, April 7, 2020, Kathmandu

    Covid19 Roundup, 7 April: Oli defends govt, flight suspension extended & board exams postponed

      Share this article

    A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter

    (The Record Nepal)

    Oli fires back at his critics, defends govt handling of Covid19  

    Prime minister KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday said that Nepal remains highly susceptible to the spread of Covid19 for the next two weeks. During a televised address to the nation on Tuesday, PM Oli urged people to support the government’s effort to prevent and control the pandemic by staying indoors.

    PM Oli said that his government was doing everything to contain the novel strain of coronavirus that has been detected in nine people in the country as of Tuesday. He said that the government was coordinating with federal and local governments to set up quarantine facilities, quarantine suspected cases and to equip local health agencies.

    Oli spent much of his address hitting back at his critics whom he accused of using moments of crisis to smear the government’s reputation. He suggested that the allegations of corruption were also part of the smear campaign.

    Oli’s address to the nation comes at a time when the government is facing all out attacks from the opposition over its treatment of a thousands of migrants stuck at the Nepal-India border, the alleged corruption in the procurement of Covid19 kits from India, and its latest decision to procure through the Nepal Army. Despite his defence of the government’s activities, Oli has come under criticism from senior leaders of his own party over poor handling of this unprecedented health crisis.

    International flight suspension extended 

    The government has decided to extend an existing ban on international flights until 30 April. All international flights, except for cargo and evacuation, were suspended on 23 March. Following a meeting of a high level Covid19 task force, the PM’s office secretary, Narayan Prasad Bidari, told reporters on Tuesday that the suspension was extended taking into consideration the rapid spread of Covid19 across the world. He said that the government would soon take a decision regarding resumption of domestic flights. Officials fear that the resumption of international flights may trigger a mass return of Nepali migrants and students from Malaysia, the Gulf and European countries.

    Higher secondary exams deferred, indefinitely 

    The National Examination Board on Tuesday decided to defer, indefinitely, the board examinations of grades 11 and 12 because of the Covid19 pandemic. In an officially issued statement, the NEB said that it would fix new dates after analyzing the Covid19 situation. Examinations for grade 12 were scheduled to begin on 20 April while the grade 11 exams were planned to begin from 4 May. Earlier, the Secondary Education Examination Board had postponed grade 10 examination citing the global pandemic.

    NC pledges support despite differences 

    The Nepali Congress, the main opposition party in the federal parliament and in six of the seven provinces, has accused the government of not doing enough for the prevention and control of Covid19 despite having ample time to do so.

    In a statement issued after the party’s central working committee meeting on Tuesday, the party appealed to the government to increase testing to avoid a possible public health crisis from erupting due to the local transmission of the coronavirus. The party has said that it is ready to support the government in all possible ways. Expressing concerns over reports of corruption in the procurement of Covid19 kits and medical gears, the party has demanded unconditional dismissal of the officials involved in the scam, including deputy prime minister Ishwar Pokhrel.

    Businessman caught red handed 

    The police on Tuesday arrested a renowned business Sulav Agrawal, vice chairman of Shanker Group, for his alleged involvement in the black marketeering of thermal guns, a device used to measure temperature, which has been in high demand since the start of the Covid19 outbreak.

    In a statement, the police said that Agrawal was caught red-handed while selling thermal guns at Rs 15,000 apiece in Kathmandu. The device costs Rs 5000 a piece in the market. Police have also confiscated 67 units of Chinese-made thermal guns from Agrawal.

    Search for those at risk 

    The Ministry of Health and Population has traced more than 90 percent of the people who were in contact with the nine patients diagnosed with Covid19 across the country. Speaking at a regular press conference on Tuesday, MoHP spokesperson Bikash Devkota said that authorities were searching for the remaining people who may have been in contact with the nine.

    “Everyone who was exposed to confirmed Covid19 patients will be quarantined to prevent a possible spread,” Devkota said.

    He also said that authorities are closely monitoring 172 people with high risk of infection. Since Monday, the government has been conducting Covid19 tests from ten health facilities across the country.

    ::::::::

     



    author bio photo

    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.



    Comments

    Get the best of

    the Record

    Previous Next

    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

    Opinions

    6 min read

    What is and isn’t in a word?

    Suresh Bishwokarma - June 3, 2020

    The upper-caste resistance to the term ‘dalit’ shows a refusal to let go of long-standing Hindu caste-based hierarchy

    Features

    Photo Essays

    8 min read

    Neglected by the state, broken by the pandemic

    Marissa Taylor - July 13, 2021

    With no government-approved curriculum, no policies and no financial support, madrasas have been struggling to provide quality education. And the pandemic has only made matters worse.

    Week in Politics

    6 min read

    Govt and CG butt heads, probe sought into ex-Army Chief’s properties, evacuated Nepalis to undergo quarantine

    The Record - February 16, 2020

    The week in politics: what happened, what does it mean, why does it matter?

    COVID19

    News

    4 min read

    Covid19 Roundup, 9 April : Migrants cross Mahakali, rapid test kits & substandard sanitizers proliferate

    The Record - April 9, 2020

    A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter

    Features

    5 min read

    Dawa Chiring Lapcha drives an ambulance

    Aishwarya Baidar - May 12, 2021

    As millions stay safely home, frontliners like Lapcha rush through the Valley’s empty streets, risking their own lives to save those infected with Covid-19.

    Explainers

    4 min read

    Why many Nepalis are converting to Christianity

    Pete Pattisson - August 30, 2017

    Features

    4 min read

    A never-ending saga of power tussles: The NCP edition

    The Record - November 22, 2020

    The chronic in-fighting between Oli and Dahal has reached a point where a party split looks imminent

    Perspectives

    13 min read

    One hat to rule them all: the dhaka topi and the subjugation of minority cultures in Nepal

    Bikash Gupta - January 10, 2021

    While nationalists celebrate the hat as a symbol of a ‘unified’ Nepal, Madhesis and other marginalised groups regard it as a symbol of oppression and forced assimilation

    • About
    • Contributors
    • Jobs
    • Contact

    CONNECT WITH US

    © Copyright the Record | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy