Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring,

Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring Nepal1

-Sharpening the COVID-19 Response through Communications Intelligence

Date: May 25, 2021 Kathmandu, Nepal

EMERGING THEME(S)

• 7,220 new COVID-19 cases, 185 fatalities reported on May 24; COVID-19 cases on the rise in rural areas, according to Ministry of Health and Population; health experts say it is spreading rapidly in 50 districts stressing again on importance of tracing the mode of transmission and strict adherence to prohibitory orders to curb the spread • COVID-19 infections to decline after next 4 weeks, according to Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi, hints at the possibility of imposing a health emergency to curb the spread of the infection; Prof Dr Jageshwar Gautam appointed Chief Administrative Officer of COVID-19 Unified Hospital • COVAX unable to supply provide COVID-19 vaccine before next year, asks Nepal to look for other options apart from Covishield; Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali asks US for COVID-19 vaccine • Government revises gap from 8-12 weeks for the booster dose of Covishield to after 16 weeks of getting the first dose for those above 65 years waiting for their second dose • It takes 1 week for Gorkha to get PCR reports as it does not have its own PCR lab, healthcare workers worried this might aid in the community transmission of COVID-19 as people mingle, roam around freely waiting for the reports to come, same is the case with Lamjung and Parbat; Gorkha local levels give priority to Antigen Test; Province 1 short of PCR test reagent for last 3 days

1 This intelligence is tracked through manually monitoring national print, digital and online media through a representative sample selection, and consultations with media persons and media influencers.

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ISSUE(S) IN FOCUS

Nepal on Monday reported 7,220 new cases of COVID-19 from across the country. With this, the nationwide coronavirus infection count has climbed to 520,461. Likewise, total fatalities climbed to 6,531 as 185 more deaths were reported from across the country.2 The Ministry of Health and Population has said that the number of coronavirus cases is rising in the rural areas. Though people were requested to stay in quarantine for 10 days, they flouted the safety and health protocols causing a spike in infection rate in rural areas, said Krishna Poudel, Director at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division during a press briefing on May 23.3 The COVID-19 infection is spreading rapidly in 50 districts, according to Dr Archana Shrestha, an infectious disease expert. According to Dr Rabi Shakya, Director of Patan Hospital, we are aware of how many among those doing PCR tests are infected, but it is important to know how it is being transmitted in the community. That’s why there is a need for strict prohibitory orders, and contact tracing, as per Dr Basudev Pandey, former Chief of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.4 The COVID-19 infection rate seems to have stabilized in the past one week, while the death rate has increased. Health experts have said though it seems like the infection has peaked, it will be clear only after a week.5 The Kathmandu Metropolitan City is set to do Antigen Test of 50,000 people in five days. The test will begin from May 28 in association with the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.6 Despite the cases of COVID-19 infection decreasing in Kathmandu Valley, the number of infected arriving here from villages across the country for treatment is increasing. The critically-ill patients from districts surrounding the Valley — Kavre, Nuwakot, Dhading — are coming to the hospitals here.7

2 THT Online 3 The Himalayan Times 4 Ratopati 5 Kantipur 6 Setopati

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The number of COVID-infected patients is decreasing in Sudurpaschim Province. In the past one week, eight to 10 people on an average are being discharged from the hospitals every day, and the same number of infected is being admitted, but the number of those in critical condition and requiring oxygen is comparatively low, according to the doctors there.8 The number of COVID-infected is high in rural areas than the urban areas of Gorkha. This is due to the fact there is strict compliance of the prohibitory orders in the market area, while those in the villages are walking around freely, as per Shaligram Poudel, Chief of District Administration Office, Gorkha.9 Contact tracing of the infected and COVID-19 tests have not been given much attention to in the districts of . Even the families of the infected are not being contact traced. The symptomatic cases are increasing but there are no tests done.10 Of the total 4,073 COVID-19 cases recorded in Sudurpaschim till now, 55 per cent have fully recovered, according to the Health Directorate in Dipayal.11 Chief Minister of Prithvi Subba Gurung has not yet recovered from COVID-19 infection. However, he has been going around taking part in meetings and swearing-in ceremonies.12

The COVID-19 infections will decline in Nepal after the next four weeks, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi gave the information about the purported decline based on the current rate of infection. 13 Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi has hinted at the possibility of a health emergency. During a press meet, he informed that discussions are being held on the possibility of imposing a health emergency to control the COVID-19 pandemic as the infection might continue to spread fast in the next one month.14

7 Nagarik 8 Onlinekhabar 9 Annapurna Post 10 Kantipur 11 Rastriya Samachar Samiti (in The Himalayan Times) 12 Setopati 13 Baarhakhari

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The government has appointed Prof Dr Jageshwar Gautam as the Chief Administrative Officer of the COVID-19 Unified Hospital. It had decided to make a 500-bed COVID-19 Unified Hospital at the new surgical building of Bir Hospital. The Unified Hospital will have command over all COVID-dedicated hospitals across the nation.15

Amid uncertainty over COVID-19 vaccine supplies to Nepal, the country’s one immediate hope, the COVAX facility, has communicated to the government that it won’t be able to provide the jabs before next year. With this, it remains unclear when those 1.3 million people above 65 years of age, who took their first shots between March 7 and 15 will get their booster doses. According to officials, COVAX has requested Nepal to look for other options. COVAX has requested us to explore other vaccines apart from Covishield, according to Dr Dipendra Rama Singh, Director General at the Department of Health Services.16

Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali has asked the United States to provide anti-COVID-19 vaccine to Nepal. In a May 24 telephone conversation with Wendy Sherman, Deputy Secretary of State, he requested the US to keep Nepal in priority while distributing their extra vaccines.17

Nepali Ambassador to the US Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Laura Stone held discussion on bringing COVID-19 vaccine to Nepal from the US.18

Chief Minister of Province 1 Sherdhan Rai had arranged to provide the second dose of Covishield vaccine for his staff, relatives and people close to him a few days ago. The arrangement had been made secretly while the public have also been waiting for vaccination. Even journalists reporting on parliamentary affairs were denied the vaccine. The Nepali Congress has protested the move saying it has confiscated the rights of elderly to get the vaccine in favor of the Chief Minister’s near and dear ones, and also demanded the government to reveal details about the vaccine it has kept hidden.19

14 Ratopati 15 Onlinekhabar 16 The Kathmandu Post 17 Onlinekhabar 18 Onlinekhabar 19 Baarhakhari

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Minister for Communication and Information Parbat Gurung has said arrangements will be made to vaccinate journalists who have not yet got the vaccine against COVID-19.20

The government has set a new time period for providing booster doses of the anti-COVID vaccine to those above 65 years of age. The Ministry of Health and Population had said the second dose of Covishield vaccine that had to be administered within eight to 12 weeks of the first dose, will now be given after 16 weeks of the first dose, according to Dr Roshan Pokharel, Chief Specialist of the Ministry. The decision comes with the government’ failure to procure the second doses needed to inoculate the said population.21

Healthcare workers and people’s representatives in Gorkha are concerned about the possible risk of community transmission of COVID-19 due to the delay in the arrival of PCR reports. Gorkha does not have its own PCR lab. Healthcare workers say it takes more than a week for PCR test reports to arrive as the collected swabs are sent to the Province Public Health Laboratory in for testing. We are having a difficult time containing the virus spread mainly due to the delay in the release of PCR test reports; COVID-19 suspects are roaming freely in their villages while waiting for the test reports and unknowingly infecting others as well, according to Hom Bahadur Rana, Chairman of Gandaki Rural Municipality.22

The local levels of Gorkha have given priority to Antigen Test after being unable to get results of PCR tests of the locals even in a week.23

The local levels of Parbat and Lamjung have been collecting swab samples of suspected people from the villages and sending them to laboratories for tests. However, it takes seven to 10 days for the report to come, and the delay has caused the infection to spread faster.24

There has been a shortage of reagent needed for PCR test in Province 1 since the past three days. This has increased the

20 Nagarik 21 Onlinekhabar 22 The Kathmandu Post 23 Nagarik 24 Kantipur

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pressure at the Koshi Hospital, which has reagent sufficient for the next two-three days.25

OTHER(S)

National News

HOSPITAL & HEALTHCARE FACILITIES The Ministry of Health and Population has announced vacancies for healthcare workers for COVID dedicated hospitals. It has asked interested doctors and nurses to apply for the posts.26 The government has set aside a budget to add services and structures in hospitals after the COVID-19 infection has peaked. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, Rs 2,938,000,000 has been released as of now to set up oxygen plants, ICUs, and ventilators.27 In the last 13 months, 577 ventilators, 400 ICU beds have been added in the hospitals across the country, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. With this the number of ventilators is 905, and ICUs is 3,000.28 The treatment of COVID-19 patients will be done free of charge from 76 hospitals of the country. The Ministry of Health and Population has made an agreement with these hospitals to conduct COVID care units there.29 The infectious disease hospital of Gandaki Province set up by the provincial government from the beginning of COVID-19

25 Onlinekhabar 26 Ratopati 27 Baarhakhari 28 Onlinekhabar 29 Baarhakhari

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pandemic is set to become better well-equipped. The 50-bed Lions Community Hospital will now be expanded to a capacity of at least 120 beds. It will also have a provincial public health office. The ICU has also come into operation.30 The Ichhakamana Rural Municipality of Chitwan has sped up the process of setting up of isolation centers in the villages within its jurisdiction as the number of COVID-19 cases has been increasing in the district.31 The Kantipur Dental Hospital handed over the body of a 37-year-old man infected with COVID-19 to Nepal Army three days after his death. He died while undergoing treatment at the hospital and it is said it refused to hand over the body unless the hospital bill was cleared. However, the hospital had said it was unable to hand over the body as the deceased’s family had been out of contact.32 Those COVID-19 patients who have been coming to hospitals only after becoming serious have been dying in Lumbini Province. Those reaching the hospitals after getting critical have died while undergoing treatment, as per the doctors at Seti Provincial Hospital.33 Hetaunda Sub-Metropolitan City has installed an oxygen plant that has come into operation in Hetaunda Hospital of Makwanpur on May 23.34

DUTY & RESPONSIBILITIES Swarnim Chhetri, a nurse at the corona hospital of Butwal Dhago Karkhana, has seen many COVID-19 patients die due to lack of oxygen at the hospital. She says she is okay if the government does not provide them with the risk allowance, but wants it to provide oxygen to the patients.35 Dodhara Chandani is the remote area of Kanchanpur district of Sudurpaschim. Dr Gagan Chaudhary is hailed as the hero of this area as he has been treating COVID-19 patients here 24 hours.36

30 Onlinekhabar 31 Ratopati 32 Nayapatrika 33 Annapurna Post 34 The Himalayan Times 35 Setopati

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Chief of the District Administration Office Sunsari Umesh Kumar Dhaka has said he will ensure that there will be no shortage of oxygen at the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan. The commitment has come after reports that the hospital’s oxygen plant is not producing oxygen to the full capacity, and the hospital is hesitating to admit patients.37 The District Administration Office Taplejung has issued an order to individuals and institutions not to raise funds in the name of COVID-19 pandemic on their own.38 Saipal Rural Municipality, a rural local unit in Bajhang district, has dispatched health workers to the highlands where thousands of yarsagumba collectors have gathered to forage for the highly –priced caterpillar fungus. This is the first time that a local unit has sent health teams to the highlands of Bajhang for the welfare of the collectors. This year the collectors’ health is more at risk as the COVID-19 pandemic rages across the country, according to Lokendra Jethara, Health Unit Chief of Saipal Rural Municipality.39 Dr Sangeeta Mishra, Director of Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, has said pregnant women and new mothers should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccine. There was a dilemma on whether they should be vaccinated when the vaccine was first rolled out. However, it has been proved that the vaccine does not have an impact on pregnant women, new mothers and fetuses, as per the doctor.40 Nepal Police has arrested a person for making low quality sanitizer from Lalitpur. The 23-year old has been accused of making the sanitizer via internet tutorials.41 The design for the construction of eight holding centers to keep COVID-19 suspects across the nation has been approved, according to the Nepal Army which has got the responsibility to make them. The budget has been released and procurement notice has also been made.42

36 Setopati 37 Nagarik 38 Nagarik 39 The Kathmandu Post 40 Onlinekhabar 41 Onlinekhabar 42 Baarhakhabar

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Scouts are being trained to manage COVID-dead bodies in Jhapa to help Nepal Army in the work.43

HELP & AID

The Ministry of Finance has given approval for the release of another Rs 81,000,000 for 12 hospitals to procure PCR machines and to set up oxygen plants, oxygen tanks and HDUs.44

The Ministry of Health and Population has released Rs 346,000,000 to set up ICUs and oxygen plants and tanks, and buy ventilators in the three hospitals of Province 1, namely BP Koirala Academy of Health Sciences, Koshi Hospital, and Mechi Hospital. However, the hospitals are worried about the budget being frozen as the government has released the budget at the end of the fiscal year.45

The Gandaki Provincial government has announced to provide Rs 500,000 each to all 72 local levels of the province. They are to spend the money on the treatment of COVID-19 patients.46

The World Health Organization has provided over 640 metric tons of essential medical supplies and drugs to support countries, including Nepal, across the South-East Asia region to respond to the rapid surge in COVID-19 cases and will continue to mobilize more supplies to fill critical gaps.47

Civil society leaders collected money and provided the Bajura District Hospital with 10 oxygen cylinders.48

The Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries has brought into operation 130-bed isolation centers in three places of Kathmandu.49

43 Baarhakhari 44 Baarhakhari 45 Ratopati 46 Nagarik 47 The Himalayan Times 48 The Himalayan Times 49 Nayapatrika

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The Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, a Chinese NGO, has been running an emergency community oxygen program at Ward-17 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.50

A 50-bed COVID care center has been brought into operation at the under-construction Geta Medical College of Kailali.51

Preparations are being made to extend prohibitory orders for a week in Kathmandu Valley. It will be more stringent this time, and the authorities concerned are also mulling over whether to close grocery stores that have been inviting a lot of crowd in the mornings, according to Kali Prasad Parajuli, Chief District Officer of Kathmandu.52

The Administration Office has extended the prohibitory orders.53

The District Administration Office Kathmandu has warned of a jail term of one year, or a fine of up to Rs 500,000, or both, if anyone obstructs the implementation of the COVID-19 ordinance.54

The leadership of COVID-19 Unified Central Hospital and Crisis Management Center has not been selected though it has already been three days since President Bidhya Devi Bhandari issued the COVID-19 Crisis Management Ordinance.55

Staff nurses working at the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan have submitted a letter of attention to the authorities concerned stating that they have not received risk allowance since last year. They have also demanded full protection for those deployed at the COVID-19 hospital.56

Public vehicles have stopped plying due to the prohibitory orders. According to Saroj Sitaula, General Secretary of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, there is an investment of Rs 1,000,000,000,000 in the

50 Onlinekhabar 51 Onlinekhabar 52 Setopati 53 The Himalayan Times 54 Baarhakhari 55 Kantipur 56 Nagarik

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transportation sector. The investment will be in crisis if the government does not pay attention to it on time.57

Eight people have been jailed for selling oximeters at a high price in Kathmandu.58

As the local levels have been extending the period of prohibitory orders, there is an uncertainty regarding teaching-learning at educational institutions, including examinations. In this context, education experts have said the existing laws have to be changed and alternative teaching-learning methods have to be approved.59

Stating that there is a very less possibility of conducting SEE exams in the physical presence of students, Education Minister Krishna Gopal Shrestha has said discussions are being held about possible alternative options.60

Around 32 blind family families residing in the Sanothimi area of Bhaktapur have been facing a hand-to-mouth problem due to the loss of jobs caused by the COVID-inducted prohibitory orders.61

Though there have been a few cases of unconfirmed black fungus cases and even one death in Nepal, health experts say it is not something to be overly alarmed about. However, some have called on the government to put preparations in place in case such a situation as that should arise.62

Thousands of Nepali youth who were planning to take up jobs overseas have been unable to leave the country due to the suspension of international flights since the past two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.63

Fake information related to COVID-19 pandemic, its treatment, and vaccines have been making rounds on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. The number of people using such social media is also high in Nepal, making them susceptible to the

57 Setopati 58 Onlinekhabar 59 Kantipur 60 Ratopati 61 Kantipur 62 The Himalayan Times 63 The Kathmandu Post

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misinformation.64

International News

Doctors in India are fighting a fatal fungal infection affecting COVID-19 patients or those who have recovered from the disease. The life-threatening condition is relatively rare but doctors suspect that the sudden increase in the infection could further complicate India’s fight against the pandemic.65 India’s capital New Delhi will start relaxing its strict coronavirus lockdown next week if new cases continue to drop in the city.66

France’s COVID-19 contact-tracing app has now been downloaded by 16.5 million people surpassing the minimum level it needs to work efficiently. The Tous Anti-Covid will grant access to a health pass that people can use to attend sports events, festivals and theme parks with large crowds. The pass will come into effect from June 9.67

Israel reopened its borders to foreign tourists on May 23 after a fall in COVID-19 infections.68

64 Setopati 65 The Associated Press (in The Kathmandu Post) 66 Reuters (The Himalayan Times) 67 Reuters (The Himalayan Times) 68 Reuters (in The Kathmandu Post)

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Contacts for further details

Dr Sunoor Verma Strategic, Risk and Crisis Communication Consultant World Health Organization, Country Office for Nepal [email protected] [email protected]

Ms Tsering Dolkar Gurung NPO (Communication, Media and Public Information) World Health Organization, Country Office for Nepal [email protected]

WHO’s COVID-19 response in Nepal is made possible through the generous support of the Government of Azerbaijan, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Government of Germany and USAID.

Reference Code: 21MAY25MM_16B

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