Latest updates on #COVID-19 from our partners in Nepal

We are receiving regular updates from our partner NGOs in Nepal on the situation relating to COVID-19. We will relay these updates to you on this page.

UPDATED: 16.30 GMT: 27th March

From Narayan Dhakhal (Executive Director, EcoHimal Nepal, in Kathmandu)

Narayan is housebound in Kathmandu, but still directing operations for EcoHimal who have staff scattered around the country. He has sent several updates today:

The local government’s are asking for COVID-19 precaution kits, like masks, gloves, sanitizer, towel, soap, bucket, etc. for distribution and also support for the fever clinic operation tools like fever scanner and above mentioned goods including PPE. But it is difficult to buy in the moment and impossible to transport due to lockdown.

Nepal is sending a plane to china to bring PPE and distributed to the health workers. Other materials in the moment are not possible to buy, so it is not possible to assure, since government itself is in scarcity. I will let you know if there are any possibilities.

One more covid-19 positive found. Out of 802 people tested 3 are found positive, all are imported cases. The last case is in far west Nepal, he came home from the Middle East with the virus.

However, in general there is no COVID-19 outbreak yet, and hoping for not; no casualty yet, hope for not. We are concerned that because the border with India remains partially open, thousands of Nepali people entered and may have spread the virus around Nepal. That is not controllable even though everybody has been requested to stay in self quarantine. I doubt if they all follow that request. Therefore there might be many more imported cases.

So far supply of food and goods is not easy, but quite stable and no serious problem has been seen.

Specifically in relation to the situation in our project areas, Narayan told us:

I am regularly in touch with all staff members and working from home, most of my time is spent taking phone calls from different project sites and staff members.

Keshab Rai at Deusa AFRC is working from home and only coming to the AFRC to take care of plants and animal. Other activities have halted there.

I am collecting opinion from different staff members about their feelings. I will send you these tomorrow. I fear people might be exaggerating the situation in the name of different missions but the ground reality is different. The lock down will be extended for sure, but no idea how long? Maybe two more weeks? Let us hope for a better situation.

UPDATED: 11.45 GMT: 26th March

From Pabitra Majhi – Co-Founder GET-Nepal (via Mark Goddard)

Extraordinary scenes from the streets of Kathmandu. It is unlikely to ever have been this quiet. Note the extent to which the streets are being sprayed with disinfectant. Pabitra also updated that a Chinese company has donated 2,000 testing kits to Nepal.

UPDATED: 12.05 GMT: 25th March

From Sajana Bhadel – President of Girls Empowered By Travel -Nepal (GET-Nepal).

Today is the second day of Lock-down. Everything was closed Yesterday (Kathmandu). I think the situation will be same today. We basically follow this Facebook page for the updates: https://www.facebook.com/officialroutineofnepalbanda

Everything will be closed besides these services; Important Notice: Home Ministry has made it clear that emergency/essential services like Health, Security, Food (i.e Daal, Rice etc), Water, Milk, Electricity, Telecommunications, Information and Communication, Waste Management etc will not be closed.

In Southern Nepal, Birgunj city, Parsa district, GET-Nepal have organised some awareness programs regarding COVID_19 (Hygiene/handwashing) and they distributed some masks, but pics show no social distancing.

UPDATED: 11.30 GMT: 25th March

From Kanchan Kattel (Alumni TGT Higher Education Programme, in Kirtipur, Kathmandu)

So the whole country is under lock down. I'm locked up in the hostel with few other people and food for a week or so. Many people including my hostel mates rushed to villages few days ago (of course increasing the chances of transmission on the way and to the villages that were at much lower risk otherwise).

Only ambulance, health workers van, food/ fuel and pharmaceutical suppliers get the special pass to drive (probably the press too but not sure of that). Markets open up early in the morning for a hour or two and in the evening for few hours. This lock down is said to be for a week starting from 6 am yesterday but maybe it will extend looking at the situation. There's one positive case so far, the patient is the Nepali student who came all the way from France via Qatar Airways. Authorities are trying to trace her contacts and the passengers who came along with her. People are worried about the cases that are yet to be recorded.

UPDATED: 13.00 GMT: 24th March

From Dinanath Bhandari (TGT volunteer and Development professional based in Kathmandu)

Lock down has started. I hear news that people are obeying it mostly. But in the area where I am living in Kathmandu, house building goes on as usual and people are walking, some of them seems to collect essential items like drinking water. Especially those who live on daily wages, seem to keep on working.

UPDATED: 23.20 GMT: 23rd March

via Dinanath Bhandari (TGT volunteer, Kathmandu)

The Nepal Government has announced strict controls on all citizens:

These 8 decisions will be implemented from 6AM tomorrow (24th March)

  1. No one should go out except for medical emergencies and food purchases.

  2. All kinds of public and private vehicles are banned except for the permitted vehicles, and those used by medical professionals and security agencies. 

  3. All domestic flights are halted except for the ones used by the security agencies and other designated flights. 

  4. Related heads of offices should grant a leave except for the most essential services like health, security, food, water, milk, electricity, telecommunication, information and communication, customs, quarantine, garbage management. 

  5. Except for drugs and health equipment manufacturing, food, water, milk, energy companies, all other private industries grant a leave to workers and staff. 

  6. Businesses should manage ways to supply drugs and drugs-related material. Those hoarding goods, creating artificial shortage, black marketers, and obstructing supplies will be punished as per the law, and those goods will be confiscated and used in medical treatments. 

  7. This order is implemented as per the Infectious Disease Act, 2020’s Subsection 2 of Section 2.  To implement this order, all chief district officers will be mobilized and the Local administration Act, 2028 will be activated. 

  8. Those disobeying or obstructing the order as per the Infectious Disease Act, 2020  will be punished as mentioned in the Act.

https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/amp/these-8-decisions-will-be-implemented-from-6am-tomorrow/news.html.twig


UPDATED: 13.40 GMT: 20th March

From Narayan Dhakhal (Eco Himal)

Nepal Government has decided to lockdown gathering and movement of people in public areas from 22 March till 3rd of April 2020 until further notice. Our office remains closed and we will try to work from home as much as possible. I will notify all the staff members to stay at home and work if possible from there. Most of the staff has no such capacity. It means all of staff members will have sort of holiday.

This follows the Nepal PM’s address to the nation. More on that here: https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/pm-oli-delivers-special-address-all-flights-suspended-from-march-to/

UPDATED: 11.30 GMT: 20th March

From Narayan Dhakhal (Eco Himal)

Narayan has sent thorough a photo of the COVID-19 health awareness posters Eco Himal are distributing across the communities we are working with.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is addressing the nation this evening.

IMG_5448.jpeg

UPDATED: 8.40 GMT: 19th March

From Richard Allen (TGT co-director (Nepal), Kathmandu)

Nepal Gov. still claims there is only one confirmed case in Nepal from January - recovered. Latest data that I have seen (from yesterday) 510 tests done, 510 negatives - but the panic is building.

More via Himalayan Times

UPDATED: 08.40 GMT: 19th March

From Surbir Sthapit (Executive Director, HICODEF, Nawalparasi)

We are together with local government working together to sensitize the communities in the working areas. As you know that the health system and facilities here in Nepal is very poor so we have give high priority for prevention. Furthermore we also decided to stop our field work that need mass gathering.

If you have some fund to spend for awareness of coronavirus would be great. 

UPDATED: 15.00 GMT: 18th March

From Dinanath Bhandari (TGT volunteer and Development professional based in Kathmandu)

The globalization of market system has connected everyone across the globe. When market is affected due to a disaster, it aggravates risk and impacts of disasters. Nepal is safe as of now from COVID19 but adverse effects of Corona affected market are already here. Our disaster preparedness is very weak; past efforts were heavily influenced by external donors, which did not develop country capacity properly. Now, global community is engaged to save themselves. We have opportunity to grow ourselves and build on our internal capacity to cope with disaster emergencies. We can start from self-discipline to obey safety rules and support government efforts.

UPDATED: 14:00 GMT 17th March

From Narayan Dhakhal (Executive Director Eco Himal Nepal, Kathmandu)

There is no outbreak of the Coronavirus except one student who arrived from china (so one imported case) on January 13. He was hospitalized and recovered well and discharged from the hospital. So far there are not any cases noticed officially.

However, Nepal is in highly danger zone and if the outbreak happens there is no real capacity of the government to take care of the people and treatment.

The economic impact is already high due to global situation. Food items, fuel and medicine are in shortage. Schools are going to close from 19th March. Big gatherings are restricted and people’s movement on the road has decreased over the last two days. There is high fear, but most of the people are still not aware of it. It is a sort of unknown. Village people are not really concern and daily life is not much affected. The rumour in the market and ground reality is different.

If there is question, how safe is Nepal from Coronavirus or COVID-19? It is not safe and highly is in risk. But luckily no suffering. Hope it will be not.

So far, all the organization [Eco Himal] is working as normal and trying to make some contingency plans.

We are going to have awareness program in the Mandan Deupur Municipality through making and sharing IEC (information education and communication) materials. We are planning to deliver 6-day programmes in two rounds.

Similarly, we are trying to educate people through radio.