High vigilance has been adopted in the border of Rupendehi district to prevent the infection of the new variant of COVID-19 'Omicron'. The decision was taken at a meeting of the District COVID-19 Crisis Management Committee (DCCMC) chaired by Chief District Officer Rishi Ram Tiwari, said Assistant Chief District Officer Bishwaraj Marasini.
He also informed that a letter has been written to the concerned municipality to adopt high vigilance at various checkpoints including Belahiya checkpoint which has the most traffic. "In addition to monitoring foreign nationals, attention has been paid to tightening investigations and spreading awareness," he said.
Tourists from Nepal, India, Australia, Netherlands, China, and other countries enter Nepal through Belahiya. Chief of the Health Office, Rajendra Giri, said that the use of masks and sanitizers in the border areas has been tightened and instructions have been given to monitor whether the vaccine has been completed or not and to conduct 'rapid antigen test' if suspected.
Stating that priority has been given to normalize public life and targeting foreign tourists, he said that two doses of vaccine have been given to those above 18 years of age in Butwal sub-metropolitan municipality, Tilottama and Devdaha municipalities, Omastiya and Rohini villages.
He said that two doses of vaccine would be given in 11 other municipalities of the district from today. Citizens found in the border area will be treated in coordination with the State Public Health Laboratory and National Laboratory if they test positive for the antigen.
Omicron has been listed as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the office, 558 deaths have been reported from Kovid-19 in the district so far.
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