WI THOUT F EAR O R F A V O U R

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 88 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 37.5 C 6.2 C Monday, May 17, 2021 | 03-02-2078 Bhairahawa Jumla Authorities continue to fumble around amid Covid-19 surge With pandemic showing signs of sliding into a devastating crisis, authorities mull a new law to streamline response, as they ignore the basics like tracing, testing and isolating.

TIKA R PRADHAN is overwhelmed by Covid-19 through KATHMANDU, MAY 16 an opinion piece in The Guardian. Unprepared still, the Oli adminis- It took Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli tration is now groping in the dark. 11 months and close to 5,000 deaths to Instead of trying to step up some fun- realise that Nepalis don’t have a damental measures—contact tracing, strong immunity against Covid-19 and testing and treating—and ensure that he was under an impression that enough beds and oxygen supply, it now the virus would not hit the country as thinks it’s the lack of laws that is hin- hard as it has. dering its Covid-19 fight. On Saturday evening, speaking at a “We have decided to bring an ‘inte- meeting with different sections of grated’ law for effective coordination society, Oli said that he “thought” among various agencies and tackling Nepalis’ immunity against diseases some problems in purchasing medical was strong, hence he did not expect supplies immediately,” Minister for the virus crisis to deepen to this Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali, also extent. On June 10 last year, when Oli the government spokesperson, told was mocking a lawmaker in reporters after Sunday’s meeting of Parliament for questioning his state- Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre. ment claiming Nepalis have strong Gyawali is also a member of the immunity, the country had reported 15 Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre, deaths and the number of active cases known as CCMC, which is chaired by stood at 3,675. On Saturday, when he Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar appeared to be retracting his immuni- Pokhrel. Post photo: Kabin Adhikari ty claim, the total deaths had Prime Minister Oli was also present A crowd of vegetable shoppers at Machhapokhari in Balaju, Kathmandu, on Sunday morning. The district administration office has enforced reached 4,856, with the number at the meeting. prohibitory orders in Kathmandu until May 27 to check the spread of coronavirus infections. But with market allowed to open only in the of active cases at 109,740. CCMC, the task force set up by the mornings, crowds caused by the limited shopping window threaten to fuel infections. What, however, does not seem government to deal with Covid-19 on to have changed is the response— March 29 last year, however, is a mech- like last year, there are hardly anism which does not have a single any sincere efforts from the Oli expert or doctor as its member. Over administration to deal with the the past year or so, it has served as a virus situation. club of government ministers and Inside Fewer tests mean reported Last week, on May 8, Oli told officials, with no “empowered” role to CNN that the virus “situation is take a decision on anything. All its under control”, only to plead decisions are subject to the prime Hospitals say installing cases in rural Nepal could before the world, just two days minister’s nod. oxygen plants within deadline later, for help, saying his country >> Continued on page 2 not possible KATHMANDU: Citing an acute shortage just be tip of the iceberg of oxygen, the Jorpati-based Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital published a notice on May 11 telling Immediate measures like training health workers to treat its Covid-19 patients to get dis- charged. The notice said the patients mild Covid-19 cases and getting the infected to isolate at must leave the hospital as it would run out of oxygen by 4pm that day. institutions are needed to lessen severity, doctors say. After Sopan Pharmaceuticals Limited, a private firm that supplied oxygen to the hospital, notified the hospital that its oxygen machine had broken down and it would no longer be able to supply the gas, the hospital was unable to secure oxygen from other suppliers and asked its patients to get discharged. After this incident, the hospital is working to install its own oxygen plant. (Details on Pg 3)

Vegetables rot in the fields as lockdown paralyses market HETAUDA/KATHMANDU: Farmer Sundar Raj Balami is seeing a replay of last year’s Covid-19 disaster when his veg- etables rotted in the fields as he couldn’t get them to market. This year, the lockdown that began on Photo courtesy: Bharatpur Hospital April 29 in the Kathmandu Valley has An oxygen plant at Bharatpur Hospital. Hospitals are turning away patients not only because prevented him from harvesting his they lack enough beds but also they have insufficient oxygen supply. ready-to-pick cauliflowers, and he is an anguished man as he watches his ARJUN POUDEL “While people do not seem to be taking vegetable crop wither in the fields. KATHMANDU, MAY 16 the potential risks seriously, authori- Before the stay-at-home order was ties concerned do not seem to be using issued, business was brisk. He was Of the 92 swab samples collected ran- the available resources.” selling his cauliflowers for Rs50 per domly in Devitar of Dhulikhel But in some places like remote vil- kg, and he had expected this year’s Municipality, Kavrepalanchok district lages of Kalikot district there are no increased earnings to offset the losses on Saturday, 56 tested positive. That is resources readily available. of the past year. But that was not to a positivity rate of over 60 percent. Dinesh Shahi of Daha of be. Even if he manages to sell a small Health workers in Dhulikhel Khandacharka Municipality was bed- quantity of his harvest, he won’t get Municipality said that almost all the ridden for 11 days with high fever more than Rs10 per kg because buy- households of Devitar have people before he was taken to Daha Health ers are not coming, and he has no with Covid-19-like symptoms but, Post for treatment last week. market access, he said. “At that price, alarmingly, only those with severe Shahi’s antigen test for Covid-19 I won’t even break even,” said Balami symptoms like breathing difficulties came back positive. Polymerase chain of Thaha Municipality-9. (Details on Pg 5) are seeking tests. reaction tests cannot be conducted in “This is a clear indication that the district. Covid-19 is spreading rapidly in villag- Shahi was advised to self-isolate at India pledges to distribute es of late,” Sandip KC, health coordi- home but as his condition worsened, more vaccines as states nator at Dhulikhel Municipality, told his family had to take him to the dis- extend lockdowns the Post. “The situation is getting seri- trict hospital in Manma, the district ous in our municipality, as six people headquarters, two days’ walk away. BENGALURU: Some Indian states said died on Friday and on Saturday alone But like elsewhere in the country, on Sunday they would extend Covid- from Covid-19-related complications.” the hospital is struggling to treat 19 lockdowns to help contain the pan- Children below the age of five have patients due to lack of oxygen. demic, which has killed more than also tested positive in the municipality. “The hospital needs at least eight 270,000 people in the country, as the Of the 48 swab samples collected in full oxygen cylinders every day. But federal government pledged to bolster Kanchanrup Municipality, Saptari dis- we have only two full cylinders left,” vaccine supplies. The number of trict on Thursday, 38 tested positive, a Katak Bahadur Mahat, acting health deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 positivity rate of nearly 80 percent. manager at the District Public Health hours in India has risen more than The majority of the cases in the munic- Office, told the Post on Friday. “The 4,000 for the fourth time in a week, ipality is seen in just ward 8, according hospital cannot admit more Covid-19 with Sunday’s 311,170 new infections to Raj Kumar Sah, the ward chair. patients because we don’t have the representing the lowest single-day Public health experts say that coro- necessary manpower, medical equip- rise in more than three weeks. navirus infections could reach a peak ment and medicines to treat them.” Federal officials warned against any in villages across the country this Such a situation has arisen because complacency over a “plateauing” in week but with weak health infrastruc- of the failures of the past, experts say. the rise of infections, however, and ture in the villages, both in terms of “This is a result of ignoring invest- urged states to add intensive care equipment and human resources, this ment in health infrastructure not only units and strengthen their medical could only mean a looming disaster. by the incumbent government but also workforces. Delhi and Haryana “The coming days, especially this by previous ones and all are responsi- extended lockdowns, slated to end on week, are very critical as the new ble for this,” Dr Baburam Marasini, Monday, by a week. Delhi’s Chief cases could reach a peak,” Dr Biraj former director at the Epidemiology Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Karmacharya, a public epidemiologist and Disease Control Division, told the rate of positive cases compared with who is also the chief of the Department Post. “The country is ill-prepared to overall tests had come down to 10 per- of Community Programme at the handle the pandemic of this scale.” cent from as high as 30. (Details on Pg 6) Dhulikhel Hospital, told the Post. >> Continued on page 2

C M Y K MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 | 02 National No contact tracing in Province 2 due to lack of medical equipment Unlike last year, the local federal units in Province 2 have not set up quarantine and isolation facilities, nor initiated contact tracing and mass testing, health workers say.

SHIVA PURI in Rautahat & Contact tracing of those who came BHUSAN YADAV in Birgunj in contact with 24 people who had test- MAY 16 ed positive for the virus on Tuesday had not taken place till Sunday. A 70-year-old man of Chandrapur “We are now sure that the virus Municipality-4 in Rautahat district has spread across the rural municipal- tested positive for the coronavirus 11 ity,” said Pravendra Prasad Sah, the days ago. Suspecting possible infec- health unit chief of the rural munici- tion to other family members, his son pality. Ramesh Sangraula has repeatedly Sah said there is a shortage of anti- requested the municipality to conduct gen and viral transport medium kits, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) limiting the number of tests that can tests of the family. be conducted. The rural municipality But the local unit is yet to does not have the financial resources collect their swabs for testing. The to procure them, he said. Sangraula family has been living in a “We have already asked the higher state of uncertainty and fear authorities to provide us with antigen since then. and VTM kits but we have yet to “I requested the municipality sever- receive them,” said Sah. al times to collect the swabs of other Jaymod Thakur, the health inspec- family members after my father tested tor at the Health Office in Parsa, positive for the coronavirus. But there informed that Rs1 million had been have been no calls so far,” said allocated to each local body in the dis- Sangraula. trict to assist in their fight against the Chandrapur Municipality and the Covid-19 pandemic. authorities concerned have stopped “The rural municipalities should contact tracing and collecting procure the necessary medical equip- swabs for PCR testing for the past ment from the allocated fund and con- few weeks, citing a shortage of medi- duct mass testing in areas where the cal equipment. virus has spread,” said Thakur. “If the Another youth of Chandrapur said allotted fund is not enough, they can that he had urged the authorities to use their own resources. They will be conduct PCR tests of his family mem- compensated later.” bers and close relatives after he tested Pitambar Ghimire, the chief dis- positive for the coronavirus last week. trict officer of Parsa, admitted that “I asked them to carry out the PCR the authorities have not been able to tests of nine people who were in con- contact trace and conduct PCR tests in tact with me. But it hasn’t happened the affected areas due to a lack of test- yet,” he said. ing kits. Following the April 19 Cabinet “We don’t have Covid testing kits to meeting decision to conduct free PCR conduct testing in Jagarnathpur,” testing and resume contact tracing, Post file Photo said Ghimire, adding that his office the Health Ministry issued a state- Tracing and testing of Covid-19 suspects in Jagarnathpur Rural Municipality, where 11 patients died in a matter of 10 days, have yet to start. has issued a directive to transfer seri- ment asking provincial and local ously ill patients to Birgunj for fur- governments to follow the Cabinet the equipment,” said Abhaya Thakur, cases in Rautahat in March. The dis- istration office started Covid-19 test- ther treatment. directive. health unit chief of Chandrapur trict has now 646 active cases with 51 ing four days ago. “The rural municipality will pro- But most local units across the Municipality. “We will start collecting Chandrapur fatalities. Most of the infected people At least 16 people have died due to cure antigen and VTM kits on its own. country are yet to start contact swabs soon after we receive the neces- are now in home isolation. But the Covid-19 complications since May 3 in Testing will begin within 2-3 days,” tracing. sary health equipment.” Municipality has the local units, unlike last year, have not the rural municipality. According to Sandip Patel, acting chief administra- Fewer tests are being conducted According to him, more than 100 highest number of given much attention to those in home the rural municipality’s health unit, tive officer of the rural municipality, because the authorities are not reach- people have requested the municipali- isolation. seven of the 16 deceased had t told the Post. ing out in communities for contact ty for a PCR test. cases in Rautahat. Mayor of Chandrapur Municipality ested positive for the coronavirus. Ghimire further said that the police tracing. During the first wave of the pan- Ramchandra Chaudhary said that the Nine positive cases were from have been directed to monitor the Around 15 to 20 positive cases are demic last year, health workers and municipal office could not work effec- Chiljhapati village. unnecessary movement of people at being reported in Chandrapur on a people’s representatives had been The district administration of tively to contain Covid-19 this year At Chiljhapati, seven out of 11 peo- the rural municipality. daily basis. But the health institutions deployed for contact tracing and swab Rautahat has decided to extend the due to a lack of budget. ple tested positive for the virus during The rural municipality has set up a and the municipality have not priori- collection. This year, however, most of prohibitory order till May 29, as the Of the 18 local units in the district, antigen testing while swab samples of 25-bed isolation unit in Hotel Baba in tised contact tracing. the local units have not made such district reports an increasing number Chandrapur has the highest number 17 out of 25 people taken for PCR test- Birgunj. However, most of its resi- “We don’t have a viral transport efforts. of Covid-19 infections. But the infec- of infected people—113. ing came positive for Covid-19. dents are reluctant to go there. medium and other health equipment “Unlike last year, the local bodies tion rate, according to the district Meanwhile in Jagarnathpur Rural According to data collected by “The hotel isolation centre is empty to collect and send swab samples to have not set up quarantine and isolation health office in Gaur, has not reduced Municipality of Parsa, where 11 health workers from Birgunj and offi- and people are roaming around the the laboratory. Many people have facilities, or initiated contact tracing even after the prohibitory order came Covid-19 suspects died in a matter of cials from the local unit, 173 people village without any restriction, as asked us for tests. We have also asked and mass testing,” said Chief District into place. 10 days, the rural municipality in are suffering from fever at Chiljhapati they don’t want to go into isolation,” the provincial government to supply Officer of Rautahat Indradev Yadav. There were just 23 active Covid-19 coordination with the district admin- village alone. said Sah. Authorities continue to fumble around amid ... Fewer tests mean reported >> Continued from page 1 The government is also discussing cases in rural Nepal could A senior doctor at the Health Ministry, if a health emergency should be who did not wish to be named fearing declared. Officials, however, said retribution, said that there is a seri- Sunday’s CCMC meeting did not take ous problem when it comes to taking any decision in that regard. just be tip of the iceberg decisions. “This has been an agenda for quite “Political leaders as well as the lead- a while,” said Gyawali, the govern- >> Continued from page 1 ties, health workers, budget, testing ership and those who are at the poli- ment spokesperson. “[We believe] if a Workers returning to their homes and oxygen. cy-making level act as if they know health emergency is declared, it needs from India and cities like Kathmandu “What can happen in the villages, everything,” the doctor told the Post. to be done in such a way that it indeed brought the virus with them to the when the entire health infrastructure “They think they can deal with the yields results.” villages. of the big cities have been over- current Covid-19 crisis without the The Health Ministry in September As the second wave gripped India, whelmed and patients on hospital need of experts’ advice.” last year had suggested a health emer- people returned in thousands, espe- premises are pleading for oxygen and After logging steadily rising num- gency should be declared if the num- cially to Karnali and Sudurpaschim, treatment?” said Marasini. bers of new cases and new deaths ber of active cases cross the 25,000 and cases continue to rise there. They But doctors working in the field since the second wave hit the country mark. were allowed to go to their villages argue that talking about the weak- in early April, the country, however, A month later, Nepal’s active cases directly without having to spend time nesses and blunders of the past is has not hit the 10,000 mark yet. After crossed 25,000 on October 7, but the in quarantine in border areas like in meaningless and the focus recording 5,743, the highest number of government did not make any move to the case of the first wave of the pan- should instead be on what can be new cases on October 21 last year, declare a health emergency. demic last year. done immediately. there was a dramatic decline in the As of Sunday, the number of active Local governments, which were “We have schools in every village, number of new infections. On cases stood at 110,263. active during the first wave of the those schools should be converted into May 11, the country saw its highest Doctors say if a law is indeed need- pandemic, did not bother to place quarantine and symptomatic people single-day spike with 9,317 new cases. ed to smoothen procurement process- those returning to their villages in should be isolated,” said Karmacharya, But the country on Sunday reported es to make the battle against the quarantine either. of the Dhulikhel Hospital. “Health 7,316 new cases. The Health Ministry pandemic stronger and more Authorities in the Kathmandu facilities at the local level should be said 145 had died of Covid-19 across effective, authorities should have done Valley enforced prohibitory orders trained and asked to treat infected the country based on the data provid- so long ago. only after new cases started to spike. people at local level and refer only ed by the Nepal Army which manages “Now trying to bring laws in the With two days’ notice given before serious cases to hospitals.” the bodies. The death toll stands name of making procurements easier prohibitory orders first came into Nepal Medical Council recently at 5,001. REUTERS does raise suspicion, given the corrup- force on 29 April many left Kathmandu issued guidelines for health workers Experts say the threat is not over The United Nations in Nepal in its Friday situation report pointed to an urgent need for tion controversies that were reported for their villages. Of the 28 swab sam- for the treatment of Covid-19 patients yet and what is concerning is the Oli vaccines and essential life-saving commodities. last year,” said a doctor who has ples collected by the Benighat Rorang and recommended use of steroids in government might get into a compla- worked in the public health sector for Rural Municipality of Dhading for certain conditions. cent mode, claiming that Covid-19 stepping up basic requirements, laws them in an effective manner.” decades and led various government polymerase chain reaction tests Karmacharya said that a lot of cases have plateaued. only won’t be of help in the fight Officials could not provide details hospitals successfully. “After failing to recently, 12 tested positive. severity of cases and deaths can Public health experts and doctors against the virus. as to what all such an integrated law deal with the crisis, authorities are The rural municipality has set up 28 be prevented by following the coun- told the Post last week that even if the Experts had suggested last year that entails. coming up with more excuses and isolation beds but only six people are cil’s guidelines and administering new infections hover around the 9,000 Nepal could have done better had it An official at the CCMC told the half-hearted plans.” using them as people prefer home iso- steroids. mark, the number of deaths could brought an integrated law and not Post that such a law could be in place Public health experts and doctors lation to institutional isolations. The Dhulikhel Hospital, which continue to rise if the authorities fail relied totally on the decades-old within “a few days”. say the Oli administration must set its “Infection has already spread in the has been operating 18 outreach to ensure treatment, oxygen and beds. Infectious Disease Act. “Such laws are called sunset laws, priorities right if it is really serious communities of our rural municipali- clinics at various local units of the On Friday, the World Health At that time, government authori- and they are automatically terminat- about saving the lives of the people ty,” Shankar Duwadi, health coordina- district, said that health workers serv- Organisation said that Nepal has ties were indifferent to such calls, ed after their purpose is over,” said rather than wasting time on multiple tor at the municipality, told the Post ing in those outreach clinics are emergency needs. saying existing laws were sufficient. Khagaraj Baral, member secretary of things. over the phone from Dhading. trained and ask for steroids in certain “India remains hugely concerning, Since the government paid little the CCMC. “We are expecting the law Now that the virus seems to have “Infection has already reached the conditions. with several states continuing to see a attention to contact tracing and test- within a few days given the pressure, reached villages–unlike in the first communities but severity is yet to An analysis encompassing seven worrying number of cases, hospitali- ing and did nothing to increase hospi- and it will be introduced even through wave when cases started to decline be seen.” different clinical trials conducted by sations and deaths,” said Tedros tal beds, ventilators and oxygen pro- an ordinance.” after heating the peak in urban cen- Nepal on Sunday recorded 7,316 new the World Health Organization found Adhanom Ghebreyesus while duction capacity, authorities found With no details available, there are, tres–there are concerns about more cases in the polymerase chain reac- that use of readily available steroid addressing a regular media briefing themselves on the backfoot in the last however, concerns about what the gov- deaths due to lack of health facilities, tion tests and an additional 52 people drugs to treat hospitalized patients on Covid-19 on Friday. “But it’s not week of April, as the country posted ernment actually is aiming at. Since beds, ventilators and oxygen. tested positive in antigen tests. infected with the coronavirus can only India that has emergency new records for virus cases. there is no Parliament session, the law Experts say the only way to reduce The country recorded 145 deaths in reduce risk of death by a third. needs. Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, The government once again resort- would come into effect as soon as the the number of patients needing hospi- the last 24 hours. Death toll now stands Karmacharya, however, warned Cambodia, Thailand and Egypt are ed to “prohibitory orders” in President promulgates the ordinance, talisations–beds, oxygen and ventila- at 5,001 and active cases 110,263. that haphazard use of steroids just some of the countries that are Kathmandu Valley on April 29. The as suggested by Baral. tors–is increasing testing and tracing. Public health experts, however, say can have side effects like increased dealing with spikes in cases and hospi- orders are still in place, and all but Tika Ram Bhattarai, an advocate, On Sunday morning, Dr Anup daily positive case numbers being dis- blood sugar levels and other talizations.” three of the 77 districts are under pro- said that such integrated laws can be Subedee, an infectious disease expert, closed by the Health Ministry is only complications. The United Nations in Nepal in its hibitory orders. brought in the times of crises to described the situation succinctly in a the tip of the iceberg, as hundreds of But, on the other hand, with the Friday situation report pointed to an According to Gyawali, the govern- achieve certain objectives like acquir- Twitter thread. people in the villages are not being pandemic not ending anytime soon, urgent need for vaccines and essential ment is mulling over an “integrated ing public properties providing com- “There’s too little happening in tested despite showing symptoms or this must also be taken as an opportu- life-saving commodities, including law” so that concerted efforts could be pensation to the owners, purchasing terms of public health response to the having come in contact with the nity to strengthen the system, accord- oxygen, critical care medicines and made to fight the pandemic. medical supplies immediately and pandemic surge– test/trace/isolate & infected. ing to Marasini, the former govern- supplies, testing kits, personal “We have also faced some problems coordinating with all three tiers of the quarantine/vaccinate–the only inter- “Everyone is talking about the prob- ment official. protective equipment and temporary when it comes to coordination between government. ventions that can reduce the number lems of big cities and big hospitals,” “As the ongoing pandemic is neither hospitals. hospitals, as they are under different “We had suggested that the govern- of new cases in the community and Dr Tulsi Ram Bhandari, a public the first and nor the last, long-term “Current messaging around self- ministries–some are under the Health ment introduce an integrated law last the number of those needing hospital health expert, told the Post. “A lot of investment is required to strengthen care and caring for loved ones is Ministry while others under the year but it did not pay heed to our beds, oxygen or ICU care,” Subedee people in the villages have been suffer- the existing health care system of the generic and ineffective,” said the UN. Education Ministry as academies,” advice,” Bhattarai told the Post. “If wrote. “There’s just too much reluc- ing from the infections and some are country,” he said. “Contextualized, locally relevant mes- Gyawali told reporters after the meet- the law had been in place, maybe the tance, incomprehension, sheer lack of also dying.” sages are critically needed.” ing. “Besides, some are run by provin- country’s fight against the pandemic interest on the government’s side to They have warned that coronavirus (Tularam Pandey in Kalikot Analysts and experts say that an cial and local governments. An inte- would have been more effective and work in mitigating the community infection could hit the villages hard, and Abdesh Kumar Jha in Saptari integrated law is fine, but without grated law would be useful in running many lives could have been saved.” spread.” as they lack everything—health facili- contributed reporting.)

C M Y K 03 | MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 National Ward chiefs say they feel relieved as City Hospitals say installing starts administering second vaccine dose oxygen plants within Bhaktapur and Lalitpur will start administering the second dose of Chinese vaccine from Monday and Wednesday. deadline not possible ward if more people are vaccinated. dates. The Kathmandu Valley record- Until now 16 of his ward residents ed 2,609 new infections in the past 24 Hospitals should have their own oxygen plants to prepare have died from Covid-19. hours. A few weeks ago, amid rising Among the wards of the Kathmandu for a third wave and future pandemics, experts say. infections and shortage of hospital Metropolitan City, Ward-16 has the beds and oxygen, several ward chiefs most number of active infections. It and officials had gone out of contact has 854 active cases out of the total by switching off their phones after 9,541 in the whole city. being unable to hand non-stop phone “I was tired of phone calls from calls from ward residents asking for people inquiring about vaccines. support Finally, we have started administering Meanwhile, Mukunda Rijal, the the second dose,” said Rijal via phone. chief of Ward-16, said the vaccination “Your job is especially hectic if you drive has brought some relief to his are a local representative of the ward ward residents and himself. His ward with the most number of active infec- includes Sorhakhutte and Naya Basti tions. Although it was late, vaccina- areas. “Many ward residents who had tions have resumed and this is com- received their first doses of the Indian mendable,” said Rijal. vaccine have been inquiring with me Last month, when the government about the second dose,” said Rijal. enforced the prohibitory orders, the People aged 65 years and above who Kathmandu District Health Office had been administered the first dose had suspended the vaccination cam- of AstraZeneca type vaccine manufac- paign launched for everyone between tured by Serum Institute India under 18-59 years. the brand name of Covishield are still Meanwhile, ward-27 chairman Post Photo: Elite Joshi awaiting their second doses. Chiniyaman Bajracharya said his A woman receives the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Dallu in Kathmandu. They were given their first doses ward saw very few people coming for between March 7 and 15 but it is the second dose. His ward comprises ANUP OJHA second dose from May 15. unclear when will they get their sec- New Road, Mahabauddha areas. KATHMANDU, MAY 16 Some wards of the City saw a large ond doses as the Indian manufacturer “Just 180 people showed up for the number of people queuing up for vac- has yet to deliver 1 million doses of second dose, so our vaccination centre Post Photo: Beeju Maharjan Kathmandu Metropolitan City started cination on a hot summer Sunday the vaccine for which Nepal has was almost empty,” said Bajracharya. Patients’ relatives in search of oxygen at a plant in Lalitpur last week. Proprietors of private administering the second dose of the while a few other wards saw smaller already made the payment. The sup- He said being a business district, very hospitals say an oxygen plant was never their priority because there had never been the need. Chinese-donated Sinopharm vaccine crowds. ply has become uncertain after the few people live there. “Besides, many (BBIBP-CorV) in all its 32 wards from “We had an overwhelming number Indian government banned export of people from the area had received the PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA also do not have their own oxygen Sunday. of people. Over 600 people got their the vaccine amid record spike in infec- Indian vaccine in their first dose so KATHMANDU, MAY 16 plants. The city, which is reeling under spi- vaccines on Sunday. It was quite diffi- tions and deaths there. they are waiting for the second dose of “Our understanding was that the ralling coronavirus cases, started giv- cult to handle the crowd,” said Meanwhile, those who had received the vaccine,” said Bajracharya. Citing an acute shortage of oxygen, oxygen plant was something related to ing the second dose to those who had Nawaraj Parajuli, Ward -32 chief. He the first dose of the Chinese vaccine Bajracharya’s ward has 57 active the Jorpati-based Nepal Medical the oxygen industry,” said Thapa. received their first jab between April 7 said as his ward borders Bhaktapur later than the over 65s have started infections, according to the City’s College Teaching Hospital published a Oxygen plants were not in the hos- and April 28. The city plans to contin- district, some people from Bhaktapur getting the second dose. data. notice on May 11 telling its Covid-19 pitals’ priority also because, until the ue the vaccination drive until May 25 also got their second dose at his ward. “Over 600 people got their second Hari Kunwar, the chief of the pub- patients to get discharged. current crisis, the demand for oxygen for people aged 18 to 59. “Only those who had the first dose jabs here. People took the vaccines lic health division at the city, says the The notice said the patients must was low and the private sector oxygen Meanwhile, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur vaccination cards were given the sec- while maintaining social distance,” vaccination centres at wards that bor- leave the hospital as it would run out plants that supplied to the hospitals districts have decided to start admin- ond doses,” said Parajuli. On Sunday said Rijal. der Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts of oxygen by 4pm that day. had been operating at under capacity. istering the second dose of the Chinese people who had received their first According to the City’s Public remained especially crowded through- After Sopan Pharmaceuticals But amid the government order to vaccine from Monday and Wednesday, doses between April 7 and 12 were Health Department, sixty percent of out the day. Limited, a private firm that supplied set up oxygen plants within 15 days, respectively. administered the second doses. Covid-19 infected people from “People from both Lalitpur and oxygen to the hospital, notified the private hospitals say the time given to The government began vaccinating Ward-32, which includes areas like Kathmandu district are from the City. Bhaktapur came for vaccines so it hospital that its oxygen machine had them is too short and there will be people with the 800,000 doses of the Jadibuti and Koteshwar, is the second On Sunday Kathmandu district alone was crowded, we administered jabs to broken down and it would no longer huge costs involved, plus there are BBIBP-CorV vaccine that China pro- most Covid-19 affected ward in the reported 1,881 new cases of Covid-19. all those who showed their cards,” be able to supply the gas, the hospital prohibitory orders in place, so it is not vided in grant from April 7. entire City. The City’s latest data On Sunday the country recorded said Kunwar. was unable to secure oxygen from possible for them to follow the order. Last week, the District show there are 814 active Covid-19 7,316 new cases of Covid-19 with 145 “Once Lalitpur and Bhaktapur start other suppliers and asked its patients “There is a lockdown and interna- Administration Office Kathmandu cases in Ward 32. Covid-19 related fatalities which administering the second doses, the to get discharged. tional flights have been suspended so had recommended that all the local Parajuli said he is now optimistic included the number of deaths man- crowding problem at Kathmandu’s After this incident, the hospital is there is no way to bring in the oxygen units should start administering the that cases will start to drop in his aged by the Nepal Army on different wards will be over,” said Kunwar. working to install its own oxygen plants,” the association said in a press plant. statement. “We have started a search for an “No manufacturer in the world will oxygen plant supplier from countries supply us with an oxygen plant before including China, France and at least three months after an order is Germany,” said Dr Bhola Rijal, chair- placed. And after the plant arrives, it Briefing person of the hospital. takes at least 15 days to install. Not all The hospital is searching for a plant the hospitals are capable of buying with a capacity of producing oxygen and installing an oxygen plant because Officials donate salary enough to fill 100-200 cylinders daily. it costs around Rs25 million including JAJARKOT: People’s representatives, “If we are able to find an oxygen the installation cost for a plant of the teachers and other employees at manufacturer within a few days then government’s specifications.” Bheri Municipality in Jajarkot dis- we will be able to install a plant within However, a government official said trict have decided to donate their two a month,” said Dr Rijal. A day after private hospitals must bring oxygen days’ salary for the care and treat- the hospital and several others pub- plants. “It may take three weeks to ment of Covid-19 patients. According lished notices saying they had run out bring the plants if not two weeks,” to Dal Bahadur Gharti, the acting of oxygen, the government on May 12 Jageshwar Gautam, spokesperson at chief administrative officer at the had ordered private hospitals with 100 the Ministry of Health and Population. municipality, the amount will beds or more to set up their own oxy- “The government may think about be used to purchase medicines gen plants within 15 days. Dr Rijal’s is what actions to take against the hospi- and oxygen cylinders. He also a 130-bed hospital. tals that do not make efforts to import informed that the local unit has set But Dr Rijal said they have decided the oxygen plants.” up a 14-bed isolation ward with an to set up an oxygen plant not because But, a few hospitals have approached oxygen supply. of the government’s instruction but the Health Ministry with the inten- after realising that big hospitals tion of importing oxygen plants. should have their oxygen plants to “After the government’s instruction, Lockdowns extended ensure an uninterrupted supply of the two-three hospitals have initiated the SURKHET: The local administrations in life-saving gas during a crisis like this. process to bring the oxygen plants,” Surkhet and Jajarkot districts have Currently, a majority of private hos- said Gautam. decided to extend prohibitory orders pitals in Nepal don’t have oxygen The government has decided to until May 29. The lockdown extension plants and have been relying on pri- waive taxes including customs duty, in the two districts comes amid rising vate sector suppliers. value added tax and excise duty for Covid-19 cases. Chhabilal Rijal, chief According to Kumar Thapa, senior medical goods including oxygen cylin- district officer of Surkhet, said mem- vice president of the Association of ders, oxygen concentrators and oxy- bers of the public will not be allowed Private Health Institution Nepal, gen plants. to venture outside, except for there are around 300 private hospitals Hospital proprietors like Dr Rijal emergencies. in Nepal and just around 20 of them say it is necessary for hospitals to have their own oxygen plants. have their own oxygen plants to tackle According to the proprietors of pri- future pandemics. “If not during the Oxygen shortage at hospital vate hospitals, an oxygen plant was second wave, having our own oxygen NAWALPARASI (EAST): The District never their priority because there had plants will be helpful if a third wave Hospital in Kawasoti, Nawalparasi never been the need. of the Covid-19 pandemic hits the (East) is without oxygen since Friday. “We never discussed the oxygen country,” said Dr Rijal. Bir Bahadur Thapa, medical superin- plant as a part of the hospital infra- Dr Sharad Onta, a public health tendent of the hospital, said 12 out of structure,” Thapa said. expert, agrees. “The second wave has 27 Covid-19 patients need oxygen but But, the deadly second wave of the shown us how deadly the pandemic is, the hospital has run out of the gas. Post Photo: Pratiksha Kafle coronavirus pandemic exposed the so without any delay we must make There is a shortage of oxygen Workers asphalt the road that connects Syangja with Parbat in Setidovan Bazaar. Construction works have not been vulnerability of Nepal’s hospitals. In preparations for a possible third everywhere, he added. halted even amid the prohibitory orders in place in most parts of the country. fact, many government-run hospitals wave,” said Dr Onta. Wildlife conservation areas report rise in illegal activities during lockdown As a large number of people from urban areas have returned to their home villages to escape the pandemic and lockdown, cases of trespassing have increased, officials say.

CHANDAN KUMAR MANDAL cases of trespassing have increased of ing to Yadav. And, as feared such incidents did Chitwan National Park officials are KATHMANDU, MAY 16 late, according to park officials. “As these incidents show illegal take place. During months of lock- worried this time as well. “We have been seeing an increase activities are going on inside the parks down last year, hundreds of such inci- According to Ananath Baral, chief On Friday, a patrol in Bardiya National in illegal activities in the park area. and conservation areas,” said Yadav. dents were reported in protected parks conservation officer of the park, ille- Park detained two people for illegally As people have no work these days, “On the one hand Bara and Parsa across the country. gal activities have gone up of late. fishing in the Karnali river—the habi- they are trying to enter the park districts are among the districts Bardiya National Park had wit- “We have seen an increase especial- tat of the Ganges River dolphins, gha- and engage in illegal activities,” said highly affected by the second wave of nessed a massive surge in such illegal ly in illegal fishing and trespassing rials and other aquatic species. Ramesh Kumar Yadav, information the pandemic and on the other hand incidents. Over 800 individuals were to collect fodder and firewood,” said The team also seized more than two officer at the Parsa National Park. such illegal activities are happening, detained for engaging in prohibited Baral. dozen fishing nets of different sizes, “We are aware of such activities so we have a double responsibility activities in the park areas during last Just last week, park officials boats and fishing rods among other and take appropriate action.” of protecting ourselves and the park year’s lockdown—from March 24 to detained a dozen individuals inside fishing paraphernalia, and nearly 30 According to Yadav, since the sec- animals.” mid-October. the park. According to Baral, three kgs of fish. ond wave of the pandemic, there have Besides, we regularly come across Their offences included trespass- were arrested for killing a wild boar This is the latest incident of locals been two incidents of locals killing minor offenders who trespass for ing, illegal logging, timber smuggling and nine with gill nets were arrested illegally entering protected parks. park animals. collecting fodder, firewood and fiddle- and fishing at unauthorised spots for illegal fishing. Although the entire country is In one incident, a group of locals of head fern for consumption. Such peo- among others. “We have been lenient on those who under prohibitory orders to check the Manahari Rural Municipality in ple are allowed to go with a warning. Most of the offenders were fined are caught collecting fodder or brush- spread of Covid-19 and people have Makawanpur district were found to In 2020, when the country had and released on the same day. However, wood. We make them pay small fines been ordered not to venture out of have killed a wild boar and divided up gone into a complete lockdown, con- the park filed around 90 cases for seri- or free them with a warning. For seri- their homes, park officials say tres- the meat among themselves. servationists had expressed concerns ous offences. Post file Photo: Hemanta Shrestha ous offenses, we file court cases passers continue to pose a threat to In another incident, which also took about possible disruption in research In September last year, a few months A Royal Bengal tiger spotted recently in against the culprits,” said Baral. the wildlife in protected areas. place in the same rural municipality, a activities and rise in poaching and after the end of the lockdown, the Bardiya National Park. “In view of the recent illegal activi- As a large number of people from barking deer was killed for meat. deforestation while warning that long Chitwan National Park, the country’s ties, we have scaled up security inside urban areas have returned to their Locals entering the park for felling lockdowns could threaten decades of most famous protected area, suffered one-horned rhino, after 1,249 days of the park. Also the Nepal Army patrols home villages to escape the pandemic, trees have also been witnessed, accord- conservation success. a big shock when poachers shot dead a zero-poaching at the park. the park round-the-clock.”

C M Y K MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 | 04 Opinion EDITORIAL The economy has been eroding Help us, world Given the rapid spread of Covid-19, CBS’s growth Nepal is counting on you for life-saving projection will most likely be oxygen equipment and vaccines. an overestimation.

On May 12, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nepal, shared a BBC report about Nepal’s Covid- Chandan Sapkota 19 crisis and appealed to countries which can spare vaccines to send them to Nepal immediately. “Nepal has not been able to secure vaccines for even 20 percent of those who need to be vaccinated,” she wrote on Twitter. Two days later, she posted another tweet calling on the international community to see the vulnerability of Nepal differently from India. On Saturday, Nyanti posted another appeal on Twitter: “Is the world listen- With the deadly second wave of Covid- ing? With the highest case positivity rate in the world, the data 19 spreading throughout the country, is also speaking. Send vaccines to Nepal now!” the likelihood of a quick economic recovery as expected by the govern- The crisis that the country reels under is far from over. ment, which until recently was insist- Biweekly changes in confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country ing on achieving a 7 percent growth indicate a decline in the positivity rate, but close to 45 percent of target, is almost nil. Economic scar- total tests still return positive results. The daily infection count ring, or the persistent effect of the hovers around the 7,300 mark, and hospitals have stopped pandemic on economic activities, has admitting patients due to oxygen shortages. Over 110,000 people deepened, and already weak economic fundamentals have exacerbated. are either isolating at home or being treated in hospitals, and This is reflected in the recent nation- doctors fear more people will die without timely and al account data released by the Central sufficient care. Bureau of Statistics (CBS), which pro- Shutterstock The humanitarian crisis was not unforeseeable. Nepal’s jected the country’s GDP to grow at 4 of housing and infrastructure projects dends, the inadequate infrastructure cates funds for new elections, then it Covid-19 situation only worsened last week, exposing the coun- percent in 2020-21, up from a 2.1 percent is expected to positively affect mining provision and a collapsed healthcare might lead to a decrease in public try’s broken health system and poor governance as record new contraction in 2019-20. Given the and quarrying activities. sector have laid bare economic and spending as revenue mobilisation assumption behind the estimation and Construction activities are projected social vulnerabilities. Economic scar- slows down in tandem with the expect- infections and deaths were recorded; but two days before appeal- the rapid spread of Covid-19, CBS’s to increase by 5.6 percent, up from a 5 ring is going to be deep, due to dimin- ed decline or muted growth in econom- ing to the world for help through an opinion piece in The growth projection will most likely be percent contraction in 2019-20 as house- ishing labour force participation, ic activities. Guardian, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli told CNN on May 8 an overestimation. The onus to stabi- hold, commercial and infrastructure impending household and firm bank- It might also affect the banking sec- the “situation is under control”. At a time when the world has lise economic activities and chart out a projects pick up pace after a slack last ruptcies, and disruption of production tor, which might see demand for new shown concern about the dire developments as a more trans- viable recovery path is now on the gov- year. Manufacturing activities, which networks both domestically and exter- credit decrease after a slight increase missible variant ravages Nepal, the prime minister missed the ernment, as consumption demand and are projected to increase by 3.9 percent nally. in the first half of the year. Firm bank- private investment remain subdued. from 8.6 percent contraction last year, Given the lack of preparedness for a ruptcies due to cashflow problems and opportunity to appeal to the world for the kind of help Nepal continue to be affected by lockdowns surge in cases (due to the overwhelmed a subsequent rise in non-performing needed. Slower than expected and containment measures in addition healthcare system and a lack of ade- assets are real possibilities, particular- But for what the prime minister has, members of the public, The bureau projected agricultural, to low private sector investment and quate fiscal and monetary lifelines dur- ly after the regulatory forbearance on the Nepali diaspora, rights activists and high-level officials like industrial and services output to grow high costs of production. ing the second wave) disruptions to loan payments is lifted and refinancing Nyanti and various national and international non-governmen- at 2.6 percent, 5 percent and 4.4 percent Manufacturing activities might actual- labour, capital and product mobility, opportunities dry up. Micro, small and tal organisations have rallied support to attract international respectively in 2020-21. This is a rever- ly remain subdued at least till the medi- supplies disruptions, and political medium enterprises, which do not have sal from industrial and services sector um-term. instability, economic activities may not much cash reserves to cushion against attention. Last week, several United States senators also contraction last year. These projections Within the service sector, which actually recover beyond the base effect negative shocks, will bear the brunt of expressed alarm about Nepal’s situation. On the day The are based on eight to nine months of accounts for about 54 percent of GDP, in 2020-21. Capacity utilisation of firms the crisis. It means economic and Guardian ran the prime minister’s opinion piece, Human data and the assumption that economic there is an expectation that high-contact will be hit due to lockdowns, and sup- employment outlook over the medi- Rights Watch called on the Oli administration to act urgently to activities will gradually pick up from activities will recover quickly. Wholesale plies and market uncertainties will dis- um-term do not look promising. avert a crisis. The rights body also urged donor countries to mid-May 2021 as lockdowns ease and and retail trade, transport and storage, suade private investment, which is also The upcoming budget needs to make life-saving oxygen equipment and vaccines equitably accommodation and food service activ- and accommodation and food service being affected by political instability, squarely focus on relief and recovery ities (basically, travel and tourism) activities are projected to increase by a bureaucratic hassles, bad governance, measures, and scaling up investment in available. On Friday, the World Health Organisation also quickly bounce back. rate of over 5 percent. These activities and low public capital spending. the healthcare system. Given the tight acknowledged that Nepal has emergency needs as the country Agricultural output, especially contracted the most last year. The CBS A lack of employment opportunities fiscal conditions, only projects that can deals with spikes in cases and hospitalisations. paddy, is projected to increase due to a is especially bullish about the resump- both in the formal and informal sectors be completed in the next two to three It’s not that the government hasn’t tried, but it hasn’t put its favourable monsoon and a surge in tion of domestic tourism activities will curtail household income and con- years should be prioritised for capital heart into the efforts to secure international assistance at a agricultural labour, thanks to reverse starting this month and is expecting sumption. Similarly, the inability of investment. Furthermore, operations critical time when there is donor fatigue and a global shortage migration from cities due to the lock- accommodation and food service activi- the government to boost capital spend- and maintenance of existing assets downs. Within the industry sector, elec- ties to grow by 11.2 percent, the highest ing will also affect mining and quarry- should be prioritised so that the impact of resources. In its statement, the New York-based rights watch- tricity, gas and utility supplies are pro- amongst all subsectors. ing, and construction activities—thus on employment generation and growth dog points out that in discussions among development agencies jected to increase by 7.7 percent, sub- impacting industrial growth. is quick. This requires active repriori- in the final week of April, international agencies spoke of a stantially down from the 25.6 percent Stabilisation and recovery Manufacturing and exports are not tisation and reallocation of spending. lack of clarity from the government regarding its priority needs growth in 2019-20 as new hydroelectric- The latest growth projections indicate expected to recover anytime soon. All expenses related to the pandemic and a lack of information about essential matters such as oxy- ity addition to the national grid slowed an economy that was losing steam even Against this backdrop and that lock- should be listed as a separate heading gen infrastructure. down. This is partly due to the repeated before the pandemic. Growth was downs happened in the third and fourth in the budget so that this could be mobi- delay in the completion of the Upper already decreasing since a high of 9 quarters—the time when most econom- lised quickly and accounted for proper- Issuing circulars to Nepali missions abroad asking them to Tamakoshi project. percent in 2016-17, which itself was ic activities take place—the economy ly. This is the time for economic and seek support and cooperation from the international communi- Mining and quarrying activities are largely due to base effect, as economic might hardly grow. Or, it may even livelihoods stabilisation measures. ty is not enough. Neither is it stately of Nepali diplomats to estimated to grow at 7.5 percent, up activities came to almost a standstill in contract for the second year in a row. Economic recovery strategy anchored chase foreign dignitaries on social media. Both the prime min- from 2.2 percent contraction in 2019-20 2015-16 owing to crippling border block- Unfortunately, there is hardly any on medium-term expenditure and reve- ister and the foreign minister have big shoes to fill. They should as mining and quarrying of stones, ade. The base effect refers to the ten- fiscal space left to launch temporary nue frameworks should be included in use all resources at their disposal to capitalise on the opportuni- sand, soil and concrete affected by the dency of achieving an arithmetically social protection schemes and relief subsequent budgets. lockdowns were allowed to operate high rate of growth when starting from measures targeted at households and ty to turn international concern into assistance, without which after the substantial easing of lock- a very low base. This time, in addition businesses because the fiscal deficit is Chandan Sapkota is an economist and we cannot ensure lives or jabs. The administration must ensure down restrictions in September 2020. to weak economic fundamentals and projected to hit around 6-7 percent of a senior fellow at Nepal Economic that we first have a plan to chart our way out of the pandemic. Moreover, a boost in the construction unrealised political and peace divi- GDP in 2020-21. If the government allo- Forum. Patent rights or saving lives

an IP waiver is uncertainty whether Countries and the quality and consistency of manu- facturing can be maintained. Vaccines pharmaceutical giants and drugs, by their very nature, have to be made under strict quality con- should think beyond their trol, which is why it takes years for medicinal products to be approved. vested interests. The journey of a vaccine from discov- ery to approval is an intricate one, a far more complicated procedure than SUSHREY NEPAL just following a particular recipe. Possibly, once the IP right is waived on Covid-19 related vaccines and drugs, international bodies like the World Health Organisation may have a cru- cial regulatory role in assuring that quality and safety isn’t compromised. Also, even if companies are subse- Countries began the year 2021 with a quently allowed to manufacture vac- unanimous vow to end the Covid-19 cines, they’d still have to run clinical pandemic, which the world has been trials before getting regulatory grappling with for a year. The crisis approvals, which means that an IP brought about by the raging novel waiver in itself doesn’t assure speedy coronavirus has reached boiling point, production. and more than 4,000 Nepalis have lost their lives. At such a time when the Come together world needs exemplary leadership to The Covid-19 crisis warrants that the deliver on global solidarity to counter world comes together to spread and this virulent pandemic, leaders are share innovation on vaccines and struggling to reach a consensus on medicines to counter the virus. This waiving intellectual property (IP) pandemic has evidently pushed up right protection for vaccines and demand for vaccines and drugs all drugs even when time is of the over, meaning that the quicker the essence, resulting in huge differences world stands united for inoculation in vaccination rates in the developed against the virus, the better mileage and poorer countries. This pandemic the vaccination drive will get. This has exposed the severe disproportion- also assures that manufacturers will ate distribution of resources among get an adequate return. countries in terms of providing Shutterstock If people dying in the thousands immunisation and medication against United States government has that they include concrete and urgent suspension of IP protection would the stock market, and shares of leading does not form a needful circumstance this highly infectious virus. declared its support for a patent waiv- situations causing hardships to mem- enable economies around the world pharmaceutical groups have plunged. where countries and pharmaceutical Today, as the world fights against er. Some countries have remained crit- ber countries where compliance with that have the resources and technical Waiving patent on Covid-19 vac- giants think beyond their vested inter- the wrath of Covid-19, vaccines and ical of this proposition, and maintain WTO practices may not be feasible, know-how to produce vaccines and cines will only be the first step to get ests for the sake of humanity, it is drugs developed to combat this virus that suspending IP protection for vac- and thus may need some relaxation. In drugs against Covid-19 and export the movement going towards the long hard to imagine what will. Every pos- have been made subject to patent pro- cines is not a solution to filling the such a situation, the WTO may make them to countries like Nepal, that lack war of eradication of the pandemic. sible measure that helps in the com- tection under the Trade-Related shortages, and that such a move will its compliance flexible, of course, manufacturing resources and abili- IP waiver will definitely be a step in mon fight against this pandemic must Aspects of Intellectual Property disincentivise innovation. WTO mem- with great care whereby such relaxa- ties, at a much cheaper rate. the right direction, but it is only a job be expeditiously made a reality. It is Rights Agreement of the World Trade ber countries are yet to begin negotia- tion does not become an excuse for a Developed countries such as of the half done. Transfer of technology and imperative that the WTO begin formal Organisation (WTO). Patent holders tions on the matter as people continue country to evade its obligations, till European Union, Switzerland, quality control are whole new dimen- negotiations on patent waiver at the have an exclusive right to manufac- to perish in the pandemic. such hardships are contained. Australia, the United Kingdom and sions of the issue that needs to be earliest. Since the virus keeps mutat- ture, sell and distribute the vaccines The Covid-19 pandemic is the worst Japan have been reluctant on the IP tackled cautiously. Waiver alone will ing creating new variants, delays in for 20 years. India and South Africa Exceptional circumstances crisis of the century causing both eco- waiver, and maintain that it has not in not be enough, if adequate measures inoculating the large populations of had submitted a joint proposal to the The Marrakech Agreement establish- nomic and health adversities like any way restricted production. Even and mechanisms aren’t prescribed for the developing countries will only WTO, which has now been supported ing the WTO has enabled a waiver of never seen before, and it is indeed a though the US has supported patent a safe tech transfer and quality con- worsen the already grim situation. To by over a hundred countries, asking obligation on members in exceptional chain of ‘exceptional circumstances’. relaxation, its premier vaccine provid- trol, along with the addressing of repeat a shared sentiment, no one will for a temporary waiver of patent on circumstances, but these ‘exceptional This makes a clear legal basis for the er has stated that it is ‘not at all’ in trade restrictions and supply con- truly be safe until everyone is! Covid-19 vaccines, medicines, diag- circumstances’ have not been defined. waiver of IP protection on Covid-19 favour of a waiver. The decision of the straint issues. nostic kits and protective gear. The Nonetheless, it is to be understood vaccines and other technologies. The US government has sent shockwaves in A pressing risk that is tagged with Nepal is a lawyer.

C M Y K 05 | MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 Money ‘I’m finally here’: Vegetables rot in fields as lockdown paralyses market Greece formally opens to tourists Groceries are allowed to open briefly in the morning and sales are at minimum level, traders say. PRATAP BISTA IN HETAUDA & The stay-home order was extended to Hotels, restaurants and small eater- REUTERS KRISHANA PRASAIN IN KATHMANDU May 27 as the country struggled fran- ies, all of which have been shut down, ATHENS, MAY 16 MAY 16 tically to contain the second wave of were their largest customers. the pandemic. Groceries and department stores Greece formally opened to visitors on Farmer Sundar Raj Balami is seeing Not only Balami, other farmers in are allowed to open for a limited time Saturday, kicking off a summer sea- a replay of last year’s Covid-19 Makwanpur have been hit too as their in the morning, but sales are at mini- son it hopes will resurrect its vital disaster when his vegetables rotted in vegetables have ripened in the fields, mum level, traders said. tourism industry battered by the coro- the fields as he couldn’t get them to but they are unable to ship them to “Of the total milk production, only navirus pandemic. market. market because of the government’s 40 percent is reaching the market. The After months of lockdown restric- This year, the lockdown that began restriction orders. rest is being wasted,” said Prahlad tions, Greece also opened its museums on April 29 in the Kathmandu Valley Nirmala Bidari of Bajrabarahi had Dahal, general secretary of the Nepal this week, including the Acropolis has prevented him from harvesting planted cauliflower on two and a Dairy Association. museum, home to renowned sculp- his ready-to-pick cauliflowers, and he half ropanis of land. After the lock- Dairy farmers, especially those who tures from Greek antiquity. is an anguished man as he watches his down, the business outlook changed produce on a commercial scale, have “I feel really alive and good because vegetable crop wither in the fields. abruptly in the middle of the key har- been incurring heavy losses, he said. it has been such a hard and long year Before the stay-at-home order was vest season, and now she is worried “We cannot buy milk from farmers because of Covid,” said Victoria issued, business was brisk. He was she may lose the season’s projected as demand is less than half,” Dahal Sanchez, a 22-year-old student on holi- selling his cauliflowers for Rs50 per earnings. said. “We purchased milk from farm- day from the Czech Republic. kg, and he had expected this year’s She had sold the cauliflowers she ers last year to make milk powder. “I feel again alive,” she said, as she increased earnings to offset the losses had planted on one ropani at Rs50 per This year there is a huge unsold stock strolled near the Roman Agora in of the past year. kg, now she is not sure whether the of milk powder and butter. We are not downtown Athens. But that was not to be. Even if he market will reopen any time soon. able to buy milk from farmers this manages to sell a small quantity of his Bidari had also planted akbare chil- time due to surplus milk powder and harvest, he won’t get more than Rs10 li or red round chillies that look like butter,” he said. Tourists will be per kg because buyers are not coming, they will dry up under the hot sun too. Sales of dairy and dairy-related and he has no market access, he said. “No vegetable traders are coming to RSS products are down by around 60 per- allowed if they have “At that price, I won’t even break the farmers due to the lockdown,” Vegetables have ripened in the fields, but farmers are unable to ship them to market because cent. Dahal said dairy products valued even,” said Balami of Thaha said Bidari. There is no government of the government’s restriction orders. at around Rs100 million had gone to been vaccinated or Municipality-9. mechanism to help farmers sell their waste due to the closure of the market. The lockdown has brought down produce. Valley. “Before the lockdown, we used Municipality-6 are not even getting “Farmers are not getting their can show negative consumption levels, the major eco- Farmer Uttam Upreti of Hadikhola-3 to send 10-12 pick-up loads of fresh Rs5 for a kg of fresh vegetables. As money on time as there are no sales at nomic indicator, and affected the sup- said only a fraction of the crop reach- vegetables to the capital. Now, we production is plentiful, the harvest is all.” According to Nepal Dairy Covid-19 test results. ply chain. This is not a good sign for es the market. are shipping barely two pick-up normally dumped in the fields because Association, the unsold inventory of the country’s economy which suffered The farmers fields hold a bountiful loads,” he said. of lack of storage and processing powder milk and butter currently a negative growth rate in the last fis- crop of cauliflower, eggplant, cabbage, “With sales down at the Kalimati facilities in most districts across the stands at Rs3 billion. As of Saturday, foreign tourists will cal year, economists said. cucumber, tomato and bitter gourd Fruits and Vegetable Market, the country, traders said. Although sales of dairy products be allowed in Greece if they have been Problems began for the farmers ready to be harvested. country’s largest vegetable market, Dairy farmers are suffering a simi- started to rebound after the lockdown vaccinated or can show negative after the second lockdown was According to Uttam Subedi, a vege- due to the lockdown, traders are stay- lar misfortune. There are reports that was lifted in July last year, sales were Covid-19 test results. imposed on April 29 in the Kathmandu table trader from Bisingkhel of Thaha ing home and farmers are dumping dairy farmers are pouring their milk still on the lower side as restaurants Travel between regions, including Valley, a major vegetable consuming Municipality, vegetable consumption their produce,” Subedi said. on the road as collection centres are and hotels, the major buyers, did not to the islands, will also be allowed market with its massive population. has declined steeply in the Kathmandu Farmers in Bajrabarahi of Thaha not buying it. open fully. for those with negative tests or vaccinations. “Greece is offering what people need,” Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis tweeted. “Calm and care- free moments on the road towards Chinese exporters pass normality.” Desperate for workers, US As the pandemic brought interna- tional travel to a halt in 2020, Greece suffered its worst year for tourism higher costs on to on record, with 7 million visitors restaurants and stores raise pay compared with a record 33 million in 2019. Tourist revenues tumbled to 4 REUTERS employees were able to work from Josh Bivens, research director at the billion euros ($4.9 billion) from 18 bil- WASHINGTON, MAY 16 home. left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. customers globally lion euros. Still, the pay increases could con- “By raising pay, they are able to get This year, it is aiming for 40 percent US restaurants and stores are rapidly tribute to higher inflation if compa- more workers in the door.” REUTERS of 2019 levels. raising pay in an urgent effort to nies raise prices to cover the addition- In April, even as overall hiring BEIJING, MAY 16 On the island of Mykonos, one attract more applicants and keep up al labour costs. slowed, a category that includes res- The surge is due flight was given a water salute upon with a flood of customers as the pan- Some businesses, however, could taurants, hotels and entertainment A metal coatings plant in China’s landing. Four islands in the south demic eases. absorb the costs or invest over time in venues hired more new workers than manufacturing hub has been hit by to the ‘drastic’ rises Aegean, including Mykonos, received McDonald’s, Sheetz and Chipotle automation to offset higher wages. it did the previous month, a sign the price increases of up to 30 percent for 32 international flights on Saturday are just some of the latest companies States and cities are easing business extra pay is working. raw materials including steel, alumin- in raw material from countries including Sweden, to follow Amazon, Walmart and restrictions as Covid-19 deaths and Across the restaurant industry, the ium, thinner and paint since the prices and Germany and Qatar. Costco in boosting wages, in some cases plummet, and in places like pay gains have largely returned over- Chinese New Year in February. Corfu, in the Ionian sea, welcomed cases to $15 an hour or higher. Florida, Nevada, and Texas, restau- all wages to the same growth trend The firm has had no choice but to semiconductors. visitors from Germany and France. The pay gains are, of course, a boon rant traffic is above or near pre-pan- they were on before the pandemic, pass most of these higher costs on to “We are so happy. I’m happy to be to these employees. demic levels, according to OpenTable, Bivens said. He expects the increases its clients, including those in the here,” said Pierre-Olivier Garcia, soon Restaurants, bars, hotels and stores a software provider to the industry. to climb above that trend in the com- United States, said King Lau, while prices of transportation prod- after arriving on the island. remain the lowest-paying industries, Many companies say they are strug- ing months. who helps run Dongguan-based Kam ucts such as scooters and bicycles and many of their workers ran the gling to find workers. Consumer prices rose 0.3 percent at Pin Industrial Ltd, in Guangdong have risen as much as 15 percent, the risk of contracting Covid-19 on the job “Customers are coming back faster restaurants in April, far less than province. platform told Reuters. FOREX over the past year while white-collar than restaurants can staff up,” said their labour costs that month. “Our customers understand, The surge was due to the “drastic” because it is happening to many dif- rises in raw material prices and semi- ferent kinds of industries including conductors, as well as more costly US Dollar 117.56 home appliances, mobile phones, vehi- cross-border logistics, Beijing-based Euro 142.74 cles,” Lau said, referring to price DHgate said. hikes by Chinese exporters. The willingness of Chinese facto- Pound Sterling 165.79 Investors are increasingly worried ries to pass on higher costs to protect pandemic-driven stimulus measures their margins contrasts with the Japanese Yen 10.75 could super-charge global inflation reluctance of Japanese manufactur- Chinese Yuan 18.26 and force central banks to tighten pol- ers to raise selling prices and risk los- icy, potentially curbing the recovery. ing market share. Qatari Riyal 31.78 With their profit margins already “Chinese exporters enjoy increas- Australian Dollar 91.39 tight, Chinese factories are passing on ing pricing power in world markets,” higher raw material and component Neumann said. Malaysian Ringit 28.50 costs to overseas clients, which will Surging producer prices have only reinforce the inflation loop. caught the attention of Chinese poli- Saudi Arab Riyal 31.35 Prices of Chinese goods imported cymakers, with the State Council, or Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank by the United States climbed 2.1 per- cabinet, on Wednesday calling for cent for the year ended in April, effective measures to cope with sharp- the largest 12-month advance since ly higher commodity prices. Shares March 2012. It did not say what the government In a sign of the higher prices filter- would do to deal with rising costs. Nepse 2,738.29pts 2.02% ing into retailers, US consumer prices John Johnson, chief executive, climbed the most in nearly 12 years in China, at consultancy CRU, said if highest gainers April. “With supply-chain bottlenecks Chinese authorities wanted to allevi- RURU SICL SMATA SAPDBL PROFL BARUN 10% 9.97% 9.94% 9.9% 9.9% 9.83% in many industries, and world demand ate the impact of higher commodity steadily recovering, [Chinese] produc- prices there were a few policy levers moderate gainers IGI BBC SINDU PICL CHCL SHINE ers are increasingly able to pass on they could pull, including releasing 9.75% 9.36% 7.78% 7.56% 7.34% 7.22% higher raw material costs to their some commodity reserves, imposing

moderate losers overseas customers,” said Frederic price controls and levying penalties NHPC SFCL HDHPC JOSHI KKHC GMFIL Neumann, co-head of Asian for hoarding. -2.79% -2.83% -2.89% -2.97% -3.09% -3.33% Economics Research at HSBC. “Higher Chinese [producer prices] highest losers On DHgate, a Chinese e-commerce will of course feed into higher import LEC NRN GHL NABBC AKJCL UNHPL site that helps small Chinese manufac- prices and CPI for the US and other -3.35% -3.41% -3.77% -3.85% -3.9% -5.04% turers sell products overseas, prices major economies, but that will not be POST PHOTO: DEEPAK KC of clothing and footwear have surged a major policy concern for the Chinese Farmers carry firewood across a field in Khokana, Lalitpur. about 30 percent from a year earlier, government,” Johnson said. bullion Price Per tola Fine Gold Rs 92,500 India’s once-in-a-century budget runs into trouble Silver Rs 1,350

SoG urce: FENE OSIDA REUTERS rus case load after the United States, nation costs, the government did not Indian bureaucracy badly with many Bharat Petroleum Corp and national NEW DELHI, MAY 16 recording some 300,000 cases and specifically dedicate any funds toward key officials infected by the coronavi- carrier Air India, where processes are about 4,000 deaths a day. With many contingencies arising from a second rus, slowing decisions on privatisa- well advanced, may now be pushed gasoline watch India’s annual budget in February parts of the country under varying wave and now may have to cut back on tions, among other proposed reforms. into early 2022—some three months was lauded by many and raised hopes degrees of lockdown, most of the some expenses, officials said. Two senior officials said the privati- later than previously planned. it would drive a sharp economic reviv- growth projections that the budget The health crisis has also hit the sation of assets such as oil refiner “The virtual data room for BPCL al, but there are now fears that its was built around are now mired in has been opened for initial bidders but promise may fall flat as it did not uncertainty. given the lockdown, physical verifica- account for a crippling second wave of The extent of the crisis is even mak- tion of assets is unlikely right now,” Covid-19 infections. ing investors question whether after one of the officials said. The budget aimed to revive Asia’s years of debt accumulation, India The delays will affect a series of third-largest economy via investing in once expected to become an economic other privatisation plans including infrastructure and health care, while superpower, still deserves to cling on two banks, insurance and energy relying on an aggressive privatisation to its ‘investment grade’ status. companies, that are at the centre of strategy and robust tax collections— Earlier this week, Moody’s said reforms proposed by the budget on the back of projected growth of India’s severe second wave will slow and that are key to achieving 10.5 percent—to fund its spending in the near-term economic recovery and the roughly $24 billion target from the fiscal year. it could weigh on longer-term growth privatisations and asset sales, the offi- Finance Minister Nirmala dynamics. It cut its GDP forecast to 9.3 cials said. Sitharaman said India would not see percent from 13.7 percent. The crisis is also likely to delay the such a budget in “100 years”. At the While the government maintains it listing of India’s largest insurer Life time, a massive Covid-19 vaccination is too early to revise its own numbers, Insurance Corp, which was expected drive and a rebound in consumer officials privately concede growth will to raise $8-$10 billion, they said. demand and investments had put the be much more muted that previously Another official said the lockdowns economy on track to recover from its anticipated if social distancing meas- will start affecting tax collections by deepest recorded slump. ures continue. REUTERS June, potentially lowering revenues 15 The South Asian country is battling Besides providing 350 billion rupees A file photo shows India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (middle) as she leaves her percent-20 percent from what was esti- the world’s second highest coronavi- ($4.78 billion) in the budget for vacci- office to present the federal budget in the parliament in New Delhi, India. mated for the quarter.

C M Y K MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 | 06 world Briefing Israel strikes kill 33 as Gaza death toll jumps to 181 At least 7 dead in Indonesia UN secretary-general says ‘any indiscriminate targeting of civilian and media structures violates international law and must be avoided at all costs’. boat selfie accident Java: Seven Indonesians drowned Reuters meet later Sunday to discuss the hos- after an overloaded boat capsized GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 16 tilities. Prime Minister Benjamin because of tourists attempting a self- Netanyahu said in a televised address ie in a reservoir on Java island, police Israeli air strikes killed 33 late on Saturday that Israel was “still said on Sunday. The accident hap- Palestinians, including 13 children, in in the midst of this operation, it is still pened when all 20 passengers sudden- Gaza early on Sunday, Gaza health not over and this operation will con- ly moved to the one side of the vessel officials said, and militants fired rock- tinue as long as necessary”. to take a group photo on Saturday in ets into Israel as hostilities stretched Hamas began its rocket assault on the Boyolali regency, said Central into a seventh day. Monday after weeks of tensions over a Java police chief Ahmad Lutfi. “The The pre-dawn attacks were on hous- court case to evict several Palestinian cause of the accident was overcapaci- es in the centre of Gaza City, health families in East Jerusalem, and in ty,” Lutfi told reporters. “The 20 peo- officials said. A spokesman for the retaliation for Israeli police clashes ple took a selfie on the right side then Israeli military said he would look with Palestinians near the city’s the boat lost balance and flipped.” into these reports. Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest Police added that 11 people were res- The death toll in Gaza jumped to site, during the Muslim holy month cued but seven were found dead. 181, including 52 children, since the of Ramadan. Rescuers were searching for two peo- fighting erupted last Monday. In Israel, Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its ple still missing. Authorities said 10 people including two children have capital, a status not generally recog- they will look into whether there was been killed in rocket attacks by Hamas nised internationally. Palestinians negligence by those managing the and other militant groups. want East Jerusalem—captured by boat rides at the reservoir. With no sign of an end to the worst Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war—as outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian vio- the capital of a future state. lence in years, the United Nations Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other India to start evacuating parts Security Council was due to meet later militant groups have fired more than of west coast in view of cyclone on Sunday to discuss the situation. 2,000 rockets from Gaza since Monday, Ahmedabad: India is preparing to Both Israel and Hamas, the Islamist the Israeli military said on Saturday. evacuate thousands of people from group that runs the enclave, said Israel has launched more than low-lying areas along its western they would continue their cross-bor- 1,000 air and artillery strikes into the coast as a powerful cyclone is expect- der fire after Israel destroyed a 12-sto- densely populated coastal strip, saying ed to make landfall on Tuesday morn- rey building in Gaza City on Saturday they were aimed at Hamas and other ing in the state of Gujarat. “It is very that housed the US Associated Press REUTERS militant targets. likely to intensify further during the and Qatar-based Al Jazeera media Gaza tower housing AP, Al Jazeera collapses after missile strike in Gaza city on Saturday. UN Secretary-General Antonio 24 hours, and move north-northwest- operations. Guterres reminded all sides on wards and reach Gujarat coast in the The Israel military said the al-Jala Saturday that “any indiscriminate evening of 17th [May],” the India building was a legitimate military tar- targeting of civilian and media struc- Meteorological Department said in a get, containing Hamas military offic- Islamic nations hold emergency summit on Israel-Gaza attacks tures violates international law and statement. Cyclone Tauktae, which es, and that it had given advance must be avoided at all costs,” UN formed in the Arabian sea, is expect- warnings to civilians to get out of the DUBAI: The 57-nation Organization of of the Palestinian people is the bleed- militants seized power in 2007. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in ed to cross Gujarat with wind gusts building. Islamic Cooperation opened an emer- ing wound of the Islamic world today,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut a statement. of up to 175 kmph and is expected to The AP condemned the attack, and gency meeting on Sunday over the Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Cavusoglu took a similarly hard There has been a flurry of US diplo- make landfall in the state the follow- asked Israel to put forward evidence. heavy fighting between Israel and the Haneef Atmar said. line.“Israel alone is responsible for macy in recent days to try to quell the ing morning. The meteorological “We have had no indication Hamas Gaza Strip’s militant Hamas rulers, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad the recent escalation in East violence. agency also warned that there could was in the building or active in the the first major move among Mideast Malki of the Palestinian Authority, Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza,” President Joe Biden’s envoy, Hady be destruction of houses and flooding building,” it said in a statement. nations still grappling with how to which administers autonomous Cavusoglu said. “Our warnings to Amr, arrived in Israel on Friday for of escape routes. In what Hamas called a reprisal address the conflict. enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Israel last week went unheeded.” talks. Biden spoke with both for Israel’s destruction of the al-Jala While the Arab League and organi- Bank, decried what he called Israel’s Iranian Foreign Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President building, Hamas fired 120 rockets sations like the Saudi-based OIC have “cowardly attacks” at the start of the Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Mahmoud Abbas late on Saturday, the Fighting resumes in southern overnight, the Israeli military said, maintained their view that the meeting. Israel of “genocide and crimes against White House said. with many intercepted and around Palestinians should have their own “We need to tell Allah that we will humanity.” But any mediation is complicated Afghanistan as ceasefire ends a dozen falling short and landing independent state, Israel recently has resist to the last day,” he said. “We are “Make no mistake: Israel only by the fact that the United States and K ANDahaR, Afghanistan: Fighting in Gaza. reached recognition deals with sever- facing a long-term occupation. That’s understand the language of resistance most Western powers do not talk to between the Taliban and Afghan forc- Israelis dashed for bomb shelters as al of its members. the base of the problem. Crimes are and the people of Palestine are fully Hamas, which they regard as a terror- es resumed on Sunday in the south- sirens warning of incoming rocket That, as well as the concerns of committed against the Palestinians entitled to their right to defend them- ist organisation. ern province of Helmand, officials fire blared in Tel Aviv and the south- some nations over Hamas, has seen a without consequences.” selves,” Zarif said. In Israel, the conflict has been said, ending a three-day ceasefire ern city of Beersheba. Around 10 peo- somewhat-muted response to the However, Malki’s Palestinian Across the Arabian Peninsula and accompanied by violence among the agreed to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday. ple were injured while running for attacks as opposed to the full-throated Authority has no control over Persian Gulf states, reactions to the country’s mixed communities of Jews There were clashes on the outskirts shelters, medics said. response of decades past.“The plight Hamas and the Gaza Strip, where the fighting has been mixed. (AP) and Arabs, with synagogues attacked of Lashkar Gah, the capital of In a burst of air strikes early on and Arab-owned shops vandalised. Helmand, which has seen intense Sunday, the Israeli military said it There has also been an upsurge in fighting since the United States began struck the home of Yehya Al-Sinwar Hamas in Gaza. Palestinians working no one can describe. Like an earth- of Ashkelon, Zvi Daphna, a physician, deadly clashes in the occupied West its final troop withdrawal from in the southern Gaza City of Khan to clear rubble from a building quake hit the area,” said Mahmoud whose neighbourhood has been struck Bank. At least 15 Palestinians have Afghanistan earlier this month, an Younis. Sinwar, who was released wrecked in Sunday’s air strikes recov- Hmaid, a father of seven who was by several rockets, described a feeling been killed by Israeli troops in the Afghan military spokesman and a from an Israeli prison in 2011, heads ered the bodies of a woman and man. helping with the rescue efforts. of “fear and horror”. West Bank since Friday, most of them local official said. ( Agencies) the political and military wings of “These are moments of horror that Across the border in the Israeli city Israel’s security cabinet was due to during clashes. India pledges to distribute more vaccines as states extend lockdowns Reuters BENGALURU, May 16

Some Indian states said on Sunday they would extend Covid-19 lockdowns to help contain the pandemic, which has killed more than 270,000 people in the country, as the federal government pledged to bolster vaccine supplies. The number of deaths from Covid- 19 in the past 24 hours in India has risen more than 4,000 for the fourth time in a week, with Sunday’s 311,170 new infections representing the lowest single-day rise in more than three weeks. Federal health officials warned against any complacency over a “pla- teauing” in the rise of infections, how- ever, and urged states to add intensive AP/rss care units and strengthen their medi- Police stand next to the bodies buried in shallow graves on the banks of Ganga in Prayagraj. cal workforces. The northern states of Delhi and Haryana extended lockdowns, slated to end on Monday, by a week. Hundreds of bodies found buried Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the rate of positive along Indian riverbanks cases compared with overall tests carried out had come down to 10 per- PRAYAGRAJ: Police are reaching out to graves on riverbanks. cent from as high as 30 percent earlier villagers in northern India to investi- KP Singh, a senior police officer, this month. gate the recovery of bodies buried in said authorities had earmarked a cre- “The gains we have made over the shallow sand graves or washing up on mation ground for those who died of past week, we don’t want to lose them. the Ganga River banks, prompting Covid-19 on the Prayagraj riverbank So we are going to extend the lock- speculation on social media that they and the police were no longer allowing down for another week,” Kejriwal told were the remains of Covid-19 victims. any burials on the riverfront. reporters. In jeeps and boats, the police used Sehgal state authorities have The southern state of Kerala, which portable loudspeakers with micro- found “a small number” of bodies on has previously announced a lockdown phones asking people not to dispose the riverbanks, he said, but didn’t give extension, also introduced stricter of the bodies in rivers. “We are a figure. restrictions in some districts on here to help you perform the last Ramesh Kumar Singh, a member of Saturday. It warned that people not rites,” police said. Bondhu Mahal Samiti, a philanthrop- wearing masks where required or vio- On Friday, rains exposed the cloth ic organization that helps cremate lating quarantine protocols faced coverings of bodies buried in bodies, said the number of deaths is being arrested, with drones used to shallow sand graves on the riverbank very high in rural areas, and poor help identify violators. in Prayagraj, a city in Uttar Pradesh people have been disposing of the The Indian government said it state. bodies in the river because of the would send an additional 5.1 million Navneet Sehgal, a state government exorbitant cost of performing the last doses of Covid-19 vaccines to states spokesman, on Sunday denied local rites and a shortage of wood. The cre- over the next three days. media reports that more than 1,000 mation cost has tripled up to 15,000 Even though India is the world’s corpses of Covid-19 victims had been rupees ($210). largest vaccine-producing nation, recovered from rivers in the past two Health authorities last week only 141.6 million people have received weeks. “I bet these bodies have noth- retrieved 71 bodies that washed up on at least one vaccine dose, or roughly ing to do with Covid-19,” he said. the Ganga River bank in neighbouring 10 percent of its population of He said some villagers did not cre- Bihar state. 1.35 billion, according to health minis- mate their dead, as is customary, due Authorities performed post try data. to a Hindu tradition during some peri- mortems but said they could not The country has fully vaccinated ods of religious significance and dis- confirm the cause of death due to just over 40.4 million people, or 2.9 posed of them in rivers or digging decomposition. (AP) percent of its population. India’s supply of vaccine doses should rise to 516 million by July, rate over seven days fell to 1.7 million those eligible to an estimated 800 mil- and more than 2 billion between on Sunday, from 1.8 million a week lion, though domestic production will August to December, boosted by ago, after Maharashtra, the richest stay largely flat until July, at about 80 domestic production and imports, state, and Karnataka in the south put million doses a month. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said. the rollout of shots on hold for adults Authorities in Modi’s western home The country received 60,000 more younger than 45. state of Gujarat said they would halt doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from Prime Minister Narendra Modi vaccinations on Monday and Tuesday Russia on Sunday. opened vaccinations for all adults to take protective measures against The country’s average vaccination from May 1, doubling the number of a cyclone expected to hit next week.

C M Y K 07 | MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 Sports | Medley Leicester City secure first FA Cup Bikesh Kuthu, Tej Tamang left Youri Tielemans’s sensational long-range strike helps the Foxes defeat Chelsea 1-0 in the final at Wembley. out from preliminary squad could go on and upset the odds.” SPORTS BUREAU Chelsea need a quick response after losing for K ATHMANDU, May 16 just the fourth time in 27 games since Thomas Tuchel replaced the sacked Frank Lampard in Nepal Super League winner and Kathmandu January. The Blues also have a Champions Rayzrs captain Bikesh Kuthu and midfield- League final to look forward to against er Tej Tamang were among the notable Manchester City in two weeks’ time, but could names left out from the 32-member prelimi- end the campaign without silverware or a nary national football squad released by the place in Europe’s premier club competition next All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on season. Sunday. “Of course we are disappointed but we are not Nepal’s newly appointed coach Abdullah angry,” said Tuchel. “This performance was Almutairi announced the preliminary enough to win it, today we are simply unlucky. squad for a friendly match against Iraq on You need luck in this game to be able to win” May 29 and Nepal’s remaining three fix- Chelsea’s success under Tuchel has come tures of the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian thanks to an excellent defensive record, but their Cup joint qualifiers matches set from June struggles at the other end were again exposed as 3 to 11 in Kuwait. The closed camp training they rarely threatened until going behind. will begin from Monday. Post Photo: Hemanta shrestha The welcome return of noise echoing down None of the five members of Kathmandu, Bikesh Kuthu has been the second choice from 6,000 fans of each side from both ends of the who played for the national team in the last goalkeeper of Nepal national football team. ground helped mask a general lack of quality on international fixture — Three Nations Cup the field for the first hour. — were included in the squad. Along with Nepal Squad One moment of magic proved decisive as goalkeeper Kuthu and Tamang, Sanjok Rai, Tielemans collected possession midway inside Chhiring Gurung and Tridev Gurung failed Goalkeepers: Kiran Kumar Limbu, Deep Karki, Bishal Sunar the Chelsea half and strode forward before to make it to the preliminary squad. Tridev Defenders: Dinesh Rajbanshi, Gautam Shrestha, Suman Aryal, Reuters unleashing an unstoppable strike into the top had picked up injuries during the Nepal Ranjit Dhimal, Ananta Tamang, Nishan Khadka, Amit Tamang, Bikash Leicester visit Chelsea on Wednesday in a pivotal Premier League clash that will decide who secures a top-four finish. corner past Kepa Arrizabalaga. Super League. Tuchel flexed the strength in depth of his Kuthu, the second choice goalkeeper of Khawas, Rohit Chand Agence France-Presse They’ve lost four finals and now a fifth time squad in an attempt to find an equaliser as the national team, had captained Kathmadu Midfielders: Bishal Rai, Arik Bista, Manish Dangi, Kamal Thapa, , LONDON, May 16 we’ve managed to do it for them.” Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz, led by former national coach Bal Gopal Nitin Thapa, Santosh Tamang, Sesehang Angdembe, Suman Lama, A historic week for Rodgers’s men could get Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic were all Maharjan to title in the Nepal Super League Sunil Bal, Suraj Jeu Thakuri, , Pujan Uparkoti, Ayush Ghalan, Bibek Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers hailed the even better as they are on the verge of sealing a introduced off the bench. But they were denied on Saturday. Basnet, Ravi Paswan “historical achievement” of his side in beating place in next season’s Champions League. by the brilliance of Kasper Schmeichel in the Midfielder Sujal Shrestha, who is nurs- Forwards: Abhishek Rijal, Anjan Bista, Bharat Khawas, Darshan Chelsea 1-0 on Saturday to lift the FA Cup for the The sides meet again in three days’ time at Leicester goal. ing his injury, has also been axed from the Gurung, Nawayug Shrestha, Aashish Lama first time in the club’s 137-year history. Stamford Bridge in a pivotal clash to decide who Chilwell, whose every touch was booed by the squad while Santosh Tamang, Pujan Youri Tielemans’s sensational winner was wit- secures a top-four finish in the Premier League. Leicester support, twice nearly came back to Uparkoti, Nitin Thapa and forward nessed by 22,000 fans at Wembley. And Rodgers suggested his side were the neutrals haunt his old club as his first effort was turned Nawayug Shrestha have made their come- points, winning one and losing four games. The largest crowd for a sports event in England favourites as they aim to upset the applecart of onto the post by the Dane. Mason Mount then backs to the preliminary squad. Australia lead the standings with 12 points since the coronavirus pandemic hit 14 months the Premier League’s ‘big six’ once more. could not believe his luck as his sweetly struck Defender Gautam Shrestha and midfield- and Chinese Taipei are at the bottom with- ago were treated to a goal worthy to win any tro- Chelsea were among the clubs to sign up to the shot was turned behind by a brilliant stop from ers Kamal Thapa and Ayush Ghalan, who out a win. phy as the Belgian midfielder blasted into the top failed, quasi-closed European Super League Schmeichel. all played for Pokhara Thunders, Biratnagar Nepal lost 7-0 to Kuwait in their away corner on 63 minutes. (ESL) project last month, along with Manchester Even when the Leicester ‘keeper was beaten, City FC midfielders Suraj Jeu Thakuri and match and 1-0 in a home match played at a Five years after the Foxes stunned the Premier City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Chelsea were denied by a VAR review. Wes Manish Danghi have been called for the neutral venue in Bhutan due to unavailabil- League’s giants to become champions, Leicester and Arsenal. Morgan’s attempted clearance deflected in off national team closed camp for the first time. ity of a stadium that met the international have now claimed English football’s other pres- “The success of this team and club is getting to Chilwell, but the England international had After their friendly against Iraq in Basra standard. They defeated Chinese Taipei 2-0, tigious trophy at the fifth time of asking. Four positions like this and competing. The so-called strayed offside in the build-up. International Stadium, Nepal will play lost 5-0 against Australia and 3-0 against times they had previously lost the final, but the bigger clubs are expected to win but our success “Thank you VAR! What an amazing technolo- their Group ‘B’ joint qualifier match against Jordan in away matches. last of those was 52 years ago. is competing and if we can perform like today we gy,” said Tielemans. Chinese Taipei on June 3, Jordan on June 7 Nepal were set to host the remaining “It’s a historical day for the football club,” said can go and win,” added Rodgers. “After everything Leicester players and fans celebrated the deci- and Australia on June 11. Nepal are second three matches but they were postponed to Rodgers. “Winning the FA Cup for the first time. that has happened this year, I’m sure there were sion like a goal and were in raptures again from bottom in the five-team group after centralised venue in Kuwait due to Covid-19 I’m so happy for the players and suppporters. people hoping from a neutral perspective that we moments later after seeing out a nervy finale. playing as many matches. They have three pandemic. Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski adds new record to impressive list of achievements Agence France-Presse Lewandowski has scored five and Lionel Messi. sons, but Lewandowski was yet to 4-1 win at the Allianz Arena. He fol- Jurgen Klopp, helping Dortmund win BERLIN, May 16 Bundesliga hat-tricks this term, Lewandowski’s 55 goals in all com- inspire Bayern to European glory lowed that up by scoring in the histor- back-to-back Bundesliga titles in including a four-goal haul in a 4-3 win petitions in 2019/20 were key to until last year. His four goals for ic 8-2 quarter-final rout of Messi’s 2010/11 and 2011/12. Robert Lewandowski, dubbed a over Hertha Berlin in October. Bayern winning the treble, as the Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Barcelona and netted again in the 3-0 He scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 drub- “machine” by his wife, has added the “I have to be honest, I am aston- Poland striker was the first player to semi-final first leg against Real semi-final win over Lyon. He finished bing of Bayern in the 2012 German Bundesliga record for most goals in a ished. I thought Mueller’s record be top-scorer in the Champions Madrid helped his former club into as the tournament’s top-scorer with 15 Cup final, but left for Dortmund’s season to the long list of major hon- would last for forever,” Bayern chair- League, Bundesliga and German Cup the final, but they were beaten by goals, two short of Ronaldo’s record rivals two years later, having scored ours and achievements he has claimed man Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said last competitions in a single season. Bayern at Wembley. for a single season. 103 goals for the club. Lewandowski in his illustrious career. weekend, after Lewandowski’s treble He was recognised by FIFA after In Lewandowski’s first five years at His five Champions League goals has now scored 293 times in 328 games Gerd Mueller’s mark of 40 goals in a against Borussia Moenchengladbach. proving himself in the knock-out the Bavarian giants, Bayern failed to this term saw him pass Real Madrid for Bayern in all competitions. campaign, set in the 1971/72 season, With 276 goals in 349 games for stage of the Champions League last reach the showpiece match. But he legend Raul to leave him on 73 He is known for his disciplined had withstood the test of time until Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, term. But Lewandowski was sidelined was crucial to Bayern’s run last term. Champions League goals, short of approach to nutrition and training, Lewandowski converted a first-half Lewandowski is already the sec- by a knee injury for Bayern’s quar- He scored and set up Serge Gnabry’s only Messi, on 120, and Ronaldo, who resulting in his honed physique. penalty for Bayern Munich at Freiburg ond-most successful striker in ter-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain two goals in Bayern’s 3-0 last-16 first- has scored 134 times. Lewandowski is rarely injured and on Saturday. While Mueller set his Bundesliga history after Mueller, who last month, as the French giants leg win at Chelsea. Lewandowski was spotted as a raw former Bayern captain Oliver Kahn record over 34 league games, scored 365 in 427 matches. avenged their 2020 final defeat in When the return leg was played 21-year-old playing for Polish club sees him as “an absolute model of Lewandowski has scored his 40 goals Lewandowski was crowned FIFA’s Lisbon. nearly six months later, Lewandowski Lech Poznan, where he scored 41 goals professionalism, a condition for in 28 matches, due to a knee injury last best male player last December, edg- He is set to be the Bundesliga’s had a hand in all four goals—scoring in 82 games, and joined Dortmund in staying at the highest level for a very month and squad rotation. ing out superstars Cristiano Ronaldo top-scorer the sixth time in eight sea- twice and creating two more—in the 2010. He made his breakthrough under long time”. HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) **** CANCER (June 22-July 22) *** LIBRA (September 23-October 22) *** CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) **** Catch up with some friends and make sure to lean on You are empowering yourself, dear Crab! The uni- Balance is key right now, but this is something that Capricorn, your planetary ruler, Saturn, is bringing your inner circle for support, Aries. The moon will verse is pushing you out of your comfort zone and comes naturally to you, dear Libra. It’s important to long-term innovation and change to your money slip into cinematic Leo and your romantic fifth encouraging you to speak your truth. If you have be mindful of your communication with others at sector. The creative Leo moon is in your eighth house house of love, passion, pleasure, and self-expression experienced career setbacks, the universe is pushing work. Fortunately, your planetary ruler, Venus, and of finances and forming an opposition with Saturn today. you to take charge and continue forward. Jupiter are backing you up at this time. in Aquarius in your second house of earned income.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) *** LEO (July 23-August 22) *** SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) *** AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** Tell your cutie you’re taking a much needed hiatus, Dear Lion, you have been hard at work, but finally This is an extremely creative time for you, dear Water bearer, an important working relationship can Taurus. Although, for those of you who are already you’ll start to see the fruits of your labour. The abun- Scorpion. The Leo moon is enlightening your tenth be at the forefront today. While you provide the inno- coupled, it doesn’t hurt to lean on your partner for sup- dant Taurus sun is in your career sector and is form- house of career and encouraging you to express your- vation and unique energy, this specific person can port. Today’s Leo moon will activate your cozy fourth ing a positive aspect with transformative Pluto in self in your work. Take time away from your usual bring new creative ideas. Teamwork can bring enjoy- house of home, family, and emotional foundations. Capricorn retrograde. working space and do something to spark inspiration. ment back into the daily grind.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) **** VIRGO (August 23-September 22) **** SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) *** PISCES (February 19-March 20) *** This is a transformative day for you regarding your You’re cultivating a relationship with your inner Today is a prime day for negotiations and having The cosmos is supporting you, Pisces. You can feel work. An incoming positive change can lead to growth, child, and opening your heart space,Virgo. And important work conversations. You are receiving your workday take on a creative vibe with the playful and calling in abundance at this time. Benefic Venus is despite whether you’re single or already taken, support from the planet of luck and abundance, Leo moon in your sixth house of work and routine. in your first house of self and identity—forming an you’re likely in the midst of exploring other hori- Venus, in Gemini in your seventh house of collabora- Having discussions with colleagues can give you the exact connection with the North Node in Gemini. zons as a form of self-discovery. tion. It’s forming a connection with the North Node. inspiration and support needed. Crossword Sudoku

Yesterday’s Solution

C M Y K MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 | 08 Culture & Lifestyle (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 Home cooks find antidote to blandness on TikTok videos Since the pandemic, TikTok has become a place for people to find new recipe ideas as well as burgeoning celebrity chefs.

ap/rss Harry Heal, a 26-year-old who lives in Dubai, is one of the burgeoning celebrity chefs on TikTok. Lori Jackson (right) cooks a steak and asparagus recipe she found from TikTok at her home in Mass.

TRACEE M HERBAUGH “From then on, I have been a despite being told by his tradition- required was instant coffee, sugar however, “sucks people in really well established. But until the pan- huge cooking enthusiast and loved al mother to stay out of the kitch- and hot water to construct a lus- easily,” she said. “The format is demic, cooking skills were on the rom sourdough to feta being in the kitchen,” Heal said. en. “My mom never wanted the cious-looking beverage resem- simple, easily understood and it decline for young people and not pasta, much of the last His most viral video—13.3 mil- only boy in the family to be in the bling a soft-serve ice cream cone. connects people into a global frequently taught in school. year at home has been lion views—is a Valentine’s Day kitchen,” he said. The hashtag #whippedcoffee has understanding of food really Camden Allard, a 21-year-old food-focused. And one dish with seared chicken breast, “And because of that, I always amassed more than 2.3 billion quickly.” student in Seattle, has made sever- driver of these delecta- roasted garlic, sliced mushrooms wanted to cook.” views. The vast array of content is a al recipes from TikTok: bread rec- ble fads is the social and cream. Like most TikTok vid- Now that he’s TikTok famous, There’s a lot of variety on “food leading attraction of food TikTok, ipes, the feta tomato pasta that Fmedia platform TikTok. eos, it’s set to music and has the he says his mother doesn’t quite TikTok.” You can learn to perfect fans say. Many people, like Julie recently broke the internet, trifles, Many people have embraced feel of something professionally grasp what that means. “She’s a hamburger or ferment kimchee, Vick, a 44-year-old writer and col- cinnamon rolls and the quarter cooking during the pandemic, crafted. lege instructor in the Denver area, quesadilla. when they’ve been home, bored, Tri Phan of Arlington, Virginia, look there for new ideas. “TikTok videos are great to looking to try something new. has amassed 1.5 million followers “The videos are a little mesmer- watch because I am able to get the TikTok was ready to fill the gap as since he began posting workout There’s a lot of variety on ‘food TikTok’. ising at times,” Vick said. “I’ve overall information about a reci- a foodie paradise and has seen and healthy cooking videos in liked watching the tortilla ones, pe—like what it makes, the ingre- more than 15 billion food posts. November. The 23-year-old, who is You can learn to perfect a hamburger or where people put four different dients, how you cook it—in about “It’s my bedtime routine,” Lori working on his master’s degree in ingredients in different sections a minute,” he said. “I can quickly Jackson, 54, of Lynn, data and business analytics at ferment kimchee, make old-fashioned of a tortilla and then fold it up and determine if it’s something that I Massachusetts, said of watching American University, often cook it in a skillet.” would be interested in doing.” TikTok cooking videos. “I’ve taken does two versions of his content, Japanese candy or fry frog legs. Although they’re generally not Allard, who has been cooking ideas I’ve seen on there and made one in English and one in hands-on, TikTok’s short videos for about eight years, said he them.” Vietnamese; about 60 percent of do create interest in cooking enjoys making meals with his girl- One of the burgeoning TikTok his followers are Vietnamese, like, ‘Oh, good job, son. Very good. make old-fashioned Japanese skills, says Geeti Gangle, co-owner friend and family, and TikTok has celebrity chefs is Harry Heal, a he says. But your finance major, how’s that candy or fry frog legs. of Create a Cook culinary school made it easy for them to expand 26-year-old who lives in Dubai. “When I first started, it was me going?’” The video-only platform lends in Newton, Massachusetts. their repertoire. Heal has a distinct baritone, an wanting to share with the world About one year ago—some- itself to cooking demonstrations, “If we engage younger people in “Quarantine has made life English accent, and has garnered Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnamese where near the “Tiger King” said Crystal King, a social media learning to cook, they will start bland and repetitive with us stay- about a million followers in the food,” he said. “Now I want to take phase of the pandemic—a whipped professor at Boston-based market- making food for themselves one ing at home, and having new meals six months he’s been posting cook- this TikTok further to really help coffee drink made the rounds on ing software firm Hubspot. day,” Gangle said. “And they might to try out has added some excite- ing videos. He isn’t a chef by trade, people learn to cook healthy meals the internet, starting its viral Other social media platforms become interested in learning the ment,” he said. “That has made though he learned some cooking that they could eat and they could journey on TikTok. The drink have multiple features—lots of skills later on.” making dinners less of a chore skills when working in the French eat for the rest of their lives.” originated in South Korea, where text or static photos—that can The link between good nutrition and more an exciting thing.” Alps as a teen. Phan’s love of cooking came it’s called a dalgona coffee. All it divide a user’s attention. TikTok, and knowing how to cook has been — Associated Press

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