Because of the increasing COVID-19 cases in neighboring India and China, the Ministry of Health and Population has urged all Nepali people to receive a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines.
The new variant, BF.7 has been detected in India and China, and its transmission to Nepal may take place due to the open border with the countries, said the Ministry's spokesperson Dr. Sanjaya Kumar Thakur. So, precaution should be adopted, he added.
The variant has not been detected in Nepal so far. Those who have taken the first and second doses of the vaccines should compulsorily get a booster shot, he said.
The government is at work to bring booster doses. According to him, 1.5 million booster doses would be brought soon. Out of the total 9.2 million doses of the vaccines agreed to Nepal under the COVAX facility, 3.7 million doses have reached the country so far, it has been said.
Similarly, the Ministry has urged people to follow health protocols, use facemasks and sanitizers, wash hands with soap and maintain physical distancing.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has urged people to be safe from the risk of cold waves and snow. Ministry's assistant spokesperson Dr. Samir Kumar Adhikari said the people have been urged to keep themselves safe as the cold is increasing due to the cold wave and snowfall for some time.
The Ministry has urged people to wear warm clothes covering the whole body, to keep the rooms warm, and to manage proper ventilation and airflow in the room. It said especially that children, senior citizens, pregnant women, and people with chronic diseases should be protected from colds. Likewise, the Ministry urged regular breastfeeding to the breastfed infants, feeding them with warm and nutritious liquid feed. It also urged people against smoking and drinking alcohol.
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