Outlying villages of Panchthar become COVID-19 Hotspot

Remote villages and settlements in Panchthar district have started becoming ‘hotspot’ of coronavirus infection.

Coronavirus infection has rapidly spread in remote villages of eight local levels of the district. Rural sector has also been affected due to alarming increase of coronavirus infection cases even at villages where there is less presence of human beings as well as their movement.

The rural settlements have become ‘hotspot’ of corona virus after every household have been witnessing corona virus cases.

Hilihang rural municipality-5, Subhang, has been mostly affected from COVID-19 infection in the district so far. Seventy-three people of the ward have tested positive for COVID-19 so far while carrying out antigen test of 122 locals. Malebas settlement of the ward has been mostly affected from coronavirus where 44 people tested positive so far.

Similarly, coronavirus infection has rapidly spread in other settlements of the same ward--Bhalukhop, Amale and Jebhale, among others.

Chief of Health Section of Hilihang rural municipality, Chandra Prasad Ghimire, said, “People have been found suffering from illness in every household. Some of them have been refusing for test.” Ghimire however said that there is no situation to be worried as no serious problems have been seen on the infected people.

Likewise, eight people have been found infected with virus in course of carrying out antigen test of 22 people at Amarpur of Hilihang-1. Antigen test of 30 people was carried out at Phidim on Sunday, where 18 people tested positive for COVID-19. Number of corona virus cases has been increasing at the district headquarters due to haphazard settlement as well as movement of people even in prohibitory period. A data of the Health Office shows that COVID-19 infection has already spread in villages of Phidim municipality.

Antigen test of 50 people at Ranitar of Phidim municipality-7 was carried out on Monday alone where 24 tested positive for COVID-19. Many people have been found ill at different settlements like Naglapa, Barbote, Ranitar and Ghumaunetar. Locals had demanded test for COVID-19 after seeing patients with symptoms similar to COVID-19. The situation in the rural settlements in south Miklajung is similar.

Chief of the Miklajung Rural Municipality Health Section, Agni Prasad Chamlagain said coronavirus infection has been confirmed in 49 persons in this rural municipality alone.

According to him, the most number of infection cases have been found at Durdimba of Miklajung-8. Similarly, Tumbewa Rural Municipality in the southern belt of the district has higher number of infection cases with thirty-two people have tested positive for COVID-19.