WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 45 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 36.7 C 0.9 C Friday, April 10, 2020 | 28-12-2076 Bhairahawa Jumla Nepal Police’s Provinces roll out decision to deduct salaries for Covid-19 rapid testing on all fund unfair on its personnel, critics say suspects and all Decision has been those who recently roundly criticised for being unjust on police personnel working long returned from India hours for meagre pay. As there are concerns about the efficacy of the test kits BINOD GHIMIRE and the rapid testing method itself, PCR tests will be KATHMANDU, APRIL 9 conducted on any positive samples, Health Ministry says. The Nepal Police’s decision to deduct the pay of all officials above the rank ARJUN POUDEL of assistant sub-inspector to contrib- KATHMANDU, APRIL 9 ute to the government’s fund to fight Covid-19 has been met with dismay, After long weeks of pressure from the with many believing it could affect the public and from public health experts, morale of security forces. mass testing for Covid-19 among The police’s decision, made on Nepalis suspected of harbouring the Wednesday, makes it the first institu- disease has finally begun. tion to divert salaries towards the Sudurpaschim Province began national fund, but it has not been a mass testing in Kailali and popular one. As per the decision, Kanchanpur on Thursday, using all ranks from assistant sub-inspector the rapid test kits imported from to the inspector general will China by Omni Business Corporate contribute three to seven days’ salary International, a controversial private to the fund. firm. The prime minister and ministers On Thursday, 66 tests were conduct- have also pledged to contribute a ed in Kailali and Kanchanpur dis- month’s salary while a majority of tricts, with all the results negative, lawmakers have pledged 15 days’ sala- said Dr Bikash Devkota, spokesperson ry to the government’s Coronavirus for the Health Ministry. POST PHOTO Infection Prevention, Control and “Rapid tests have also begun in Test samples are collected from Covid-19 Treatment Fund. Baglung, Myagdi and Parbat dis- suspects at a mobile camp in Jumla. But police officials, incumbent and tricts,” said Devkota. former, and members of the ruling “Tests will be performed on samples Those tests have yet to be conducted. Nepal Communist Party have from all suspects and those who’ve Saturday’s Cabinet decision appears described the Nepal Police’s decision entered the country recently and are to have galvanised the Health Ministry as unjust for those who are on the in quarantine.” to begin tests without awaiting the front lines, after health workers. The Health Ministry was unable to results of the kits themselves. But Since the country has been under provide exact figures on the total num- ruling party insiders believe that the lockdown for the last two weeks, with ber of people tested on Thursday. test kits are being used to send a mes- an extension until April 15, police offi- A Cabinet meeting on Saturday had sage that there was nothing wrong cials have been on the streets for hours decided to conduct mass tests in three with the procurement of medical sup- on end, often without adequate protec- districts—Baglung, Kanchanpur and plies from China, and to help exoner- tion, in order to ensure that people Kailali, where a majority of Covid-19 ate Omni of any wrongdoing. abide by the lockdown. cases have been reported. The Health Ministry is now prepar- “The decision is quite demotivat- However, the veracity of those test ing to employ the rapid test kits across ing,” a police inspector on duty at results could be called into question, the country, not just the three districts Koteshwor told the Post on condition as rapid test kits imported from China identified by the Cabinet. of anonymity because he feared retri- have been found to be faulty and defec- “We have dispatched 5,000 rapid bution for speaking out against a tive by a number of European coun- diagnostic test kits to each province,” departmental decision. “We are sur- tries. In order to ascertain their effica- Devkota said at a regular press brief- prised that the decision has been cy, the government had mandated the ing on Thursday. The government has imposed on police officials who are on Nepal Health Research Council to test around 75,000 rapid test kits, as part of duty for up to 12 hours a day.” POST PHOTO: KIRAN PANDAY the kits with the assistance of the the deal with Omni. >> Continued on page 5 Local residents block a suspension bridge in Darechowk, Chitwan to restrict movement during the nationwide lockdown amidst Covid-19 fears. National Public Health Laboratory. >> Continued on page 5 Nepalis in Portugal live in fear of coronavirus infection but are financially insulated The Portuguese government has temporarily provided all migrants with full citizenship rights to ensure that everyone has access to health care and social security. CHANDAN KUMAR MANDAL was reported to be infected in Faro, KATHMANDU, APRIL 9 about three hours from Lisbon. A total of 17 Nepali workers were It has been over three weeks since quarantined at a school in Odemira Nabaraj Pokhrel left his apartment two weeks ago after an Indian in Lisbon. Like many other coun- co-worker tested positive for Covid- tries, Portugal has enforced a state 19. They were allowed to go home of emergency in light of the Covid- on Sunday after none of them 19 pandemic, limiting all residents showed symptoms. to their homes. Pokhrel, along with At least 11 Nepalis in Portugal his wife, two children, and two have so far tested positive for the other Nepalis who share the flat, coronavirus. has been inside. Nepali groups in Portugal have There’s no work since the city is extended support to Nepalis affect- under a complete lockdown until ed by the pandemic but both April 17, as the Portuguese govern- Pokhrel and Thapa worry that the ment has extended the state of infections among their compatriots emergency. will rise, especially given “Every time we go out to buy close-quarters living conditions groceries, it feels like a war zone,” and their nature of work. Pokhrel told the Post over the phone “Work in the agriculture sector is from Lisbon. REUTERS still continuing in rural areas “As the coronavirus can spread An elderly woman arrives at a triage area at Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. because the harvest cannot go to through human contact and also waste,” said Pokhrel. “While work- from the items we bring home, we deaths as of Thursday. Portuguese government’s extraor- ing in farms, they have to work in are afraid for the next few days and For residents in Portugal, includ- dinary measures meant to protect groups, which raises the risk of hope we don’t get sick. Everyone is ing the nearly 30,000 Nepalis, this families and workers affected by infection. living in fear of infection.” has meant a loss of jobs, no public the pandemic, the country’s social According to Thapa, Nepalis also Portugal, a European country of movement and no leaving the home. security system will guarantee pay- tend to live together, crammed into over 10.28 million people, reported “In Portugal, most Nepalis are ment of 70 percent of monthly small apartments to save rent its first case of Covid-19 in early workers; only a few are students,” remuneration while employers will money. In cities like Lisbon, some- March and the first death in mid- said Raj Kumar Thapa, who’s been need to provide the remaining 30 times as many as 15 Nepalis live March. Since then, cases have con- living in the Portuguese capital for percent. together in an apartment, he said. tinued to multiply, with over 13,000 the last four years. “Over 90 percent Portugal has temporarily extend- Although they live in fear of positive cases and as many as 380 of Nepalis are working in the hospi- ed full citizenship rights to all infections, most Nepalis are utilis- tality sector because of migrants and asylum seekers, ing the lockdown to spend time their knowledge of the allowing everyone within its terri- with their families, which they do English language, which tory access to its health care and not often get to do because of their comes handy while dealing social security systems. work, said Pokhrel. But despite the with visitors. But hotels This bodes well not just for hardships, they are thankful to and restaurants have closed Nepalis who are living in lockdown have ended up in Portugal, a coun- and they’re all home now.” without jobs but also for those try that has put in place measures But unlike in other coun- who’ve been infected with the dis- to help them. tries, Nepalis in Portugal ease, as they will likely not be bur- “We see the benefit of living in a don’t have to worry too dened with massive hospital bills. country with a good social security much about losses in According to Pokhrel, eight system,” said Pokhrel. “It feels like incomes and not having Nepalis, including a pregnant not a single cent we paid in taxes has money during the lock- woman, have been infected with gone to waste and the money comes down. As part of the Covid-19 whereas another Nepali back to us at a time of crisis.” C M Y K FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2020 | 02 MEDLEY Inside the Post Quote of the day Nepal government derecognises Honorary Consul of Kyrgyzstan Agrawal, National Page 3 The Province 1 government has announced to provide Rs 5 million to the families of the medics and other frontline workers who die on duty while providing treat- ment to the coronavirus infected patients.