No need to panic about surge of coronavirus infection: Health Minister

Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi has said there is no need to panic although COVID-19 infection has increased.

Inaugurating the Nepal Health Conclave 2021 here today, he said COVID-19 pandemic would be prevented from increasing in Nepal despite the spike in the cases of Coronavirus cases in neighbouring India.

The Health Minister however said that the increasing COVID-19 cases in India posed risk and the problem of infection in Nepal as well. He added that the infection would be prevented and controlled by conducting antigen tests at the border transit points.

Minister Tripathi shared on the occasion that works have been initiated for setting up isolation and quarantine facilities for keeping the infected persons coming through the border transit points.

He urged the media not to disseminate news related to COVID-19 in such a way as to spread fear and panic among the people.

"There is no condition to get panicked due to the COVID-19 infection at present. To spread fear among the people regarding the infection means to indirectly promote its spread. We should take precaution against COVID-19 without becoming terrified," Minister Tripathi said.

The Health Minister made it clear that the country would not go into lockdown again. "We do not want the country to go into another lockdown. The government is going to adopt all the important steps so as to spare the lockdown.

He said 'Vero Cell', the vaccine against COVID-19, provided in a grant by the Government of the People's Republic of China, would be administered from tomorrow. The vaccines would be administered to people between 40 to 59 years from tomorrow.

Discussions would be held in the NHC regarding the challenges and weaknesses of the health sector. The Conclave will also come up with recommendations to help the government in the formulation of health policy.

Discussions would be held on topics as health literacy, COVID-19 Pandemic and SDGs, the Role of mainstream Media for Healthier Nepal and Review of Health Policy, among others.