• Explainers
  • Features
  • Longreads
  • Perspectives
  • Podcast
  • Photo Essays
  • Newsletter
  • Write for Us
  • Donate
LOGIN DASHBOARD

Features

COVID19

3 MIN READ

Nepal records another highest single-day rise in Covid cases

The Record, October 8, 2020, Kathmandu

Nepal records another highest single-day rise in Covid cases

    Share this article

Increased testing finally reveals full extent of Covid proliferation in Nepal

(Photo- Deewash Shrestha)

Nepal recorded 4,364 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the national tally to 98,617 cases. With this, the country currently ranks 42nd in the world in the number of Covid infections.

In contrast, China — from where the virus emerged in December last year — has only 85,500 cases, with only 11 new cases detected on Thursday.

The dramatic surge in the number of Covid cases in Nepal is partly attributed to an increase in daily PCR tests. Today’s infection rate, at 23 percent, is alarmingly high. For the first time, Nepal managed to conduct 18,473 PCR tests in a 24-hour span. 

Experts believe that the actual numbers could go higher if daily tests are ramped up.

“The cases had always been there. Many have died without even getting tested,” said epidemiologist Lhamo Sherpa, adding that the lower number of positive cases until today was largely due to the smaller number of tests.

Until recently, the government downplayed the actual severity of the community transmission by limiting daily tests. In fact, the government categorically instructed not to test people for the coronavirus after death even if they are suspected of having contracted the disease. With the increase in cases, Covid-related casualties have also risen sharply in recent times. With 12 deaths, Nepal’s death toll reached 590 on Thursday, with 183 of them recorded in Kathmandu Valley.

The discrepancy in the government’s words and actions has been baffling public health experts and the public equally. While the Nepal government claims to have a capacity to conduct 22,000 PCR tests daily, its records show that daily PCR tests have hovered around 10,000 ever since the pandemic started. During the first lockdown, the government significantly cut down on daily tests, reaching a minimum of 6,000 tests. Kathmandu youths even took to the streets in July, followed by a hunger strike, after which the government agreed to increase daily tests to approximately 10,000.

In the absence of a concrete plan required to deal with the crisis, the virus began to spread rapidly, especially after the lockdown was lifted in July. The government did not have any plans other than to appeal to the public to follow safety protocols. While there were only around 17,000 cases in Nepal in July, cases have increased five-fold in the last three months.

Dr Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), announced on Thursday that there has been an increase of 10,000 Covid-19 cases per week, but put the blame on increased public mobility and the masses’ disregard for safety protocols.

“People who came to Kathmandu from different parts of the country and were required to stay in quarantine for at least two weeks did not do so. This was a major factor in increasing the number of cases,” said Dr Gautam. 

Dr Gautam focused his attention on the spread of the virus in Kathmandu Valley since the nation’s overcrowded capital has proven to be a Covid hotbed. A total of 2,540 cases were confirmed in the valley on Thursday alone, comprising 58 percent of the country’s tally. Kathmandu district meanwhile, recorded 2,085 cases, and Lalitpur and Bhaktapur recorded 320 and 135 cases respectively.

With such a surge in infections, Covid patients have been complaining of being deprived of critical care as hospital administrations refuse to admit critical patients, citing occupied ICU beds and ventilators. When this issue was raised during MoHP’s daily press briefing, Dr Gautam downplayed the scarcity of medical care but reiterated his appeal to the public to refrain from going to hospitals unless they show severe symptoms. 

“Of the total 181 ICU beds in Kathmandu, only 82 are occupied which is just 45 percent occupancy of the total capacity. Out of 76 total ventilators, only 35 percent are occupied,” said Dr Gautam.

He said service at Covid-19 designated hospitals will start round the clock from now onwards.



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

COVID19

Opinions

3 min read

Fall from grace

The Record - April 25, 2020

Ordinances may have been scrapped but Oli’s credibility as the nation’s leader has reached a point of no return

Features

4 min read

‘Corrupt’ CIAA tasked with probing Covid corruption

The Record - December 18, 2020

The parliament asks the CIAA to prosecute those involved in the Omni medical equipment procurement scam, but nothing will probably come of it

COVID19

News

3 min read

Nepal struggling to protect its inmates from Covid-19

Bhadra Sharma - August 14, 2020

Preventing coronavirus spread in Nepal’s overcrowded jails is becoming near impossible

COVID19

Perspectives

5 min read

Musahars on the margins

Rakesh Prasad Chaudhary - December 19, 2021

The Musahar community has long been marginalized and discriminated against, but the Covid-19 pandemic only made things worse.

COVID19

Features

Photo Essays

5 min read

The system has failed

Parwat Portel - May 24, 2021

Roshan Sunuwar died last year, not from Covid-19, but from a critical failure of Nepal’s health care system.

Features

6 min read

People with disabilities shoulder double the burden during the pandemic

Obindra B. Chand - April 30, 2021

Research shows that disabled people are unequally affected during health emergencies, and this phenomenon is particularly acute in low and middle income countries.

COVID19

4 min read

Daily wage workers at the end of their tether

The Record - April 6, 2020

Despite the government’s relief package, the poor and out-of-job in Kathmandu are not consoled

COVID19

Features

5 min read

Vaccinations to resume Wednesday with Chinese-made vaccines

Ishita Shahi - April 6, 2021

While all vaccinations so far have been the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Nepal will now be rolling out the vaccines from Sinopharm

  • About
  • Contributors
  • Jobs
  • Contact

CONNECT WITH US

© Copyright 2025 the Record | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy

×