COVID-19 UPDATES
All of our COVID-19 pandemic reporting is generously supported
by a grant from the Open Society Foundations.
The government will need more vaccines and the funds to buy them to meet its immunisation goals
To get on the path to sustained economic recovery, Nepal will need to develop trade mechanisms that have been re-calibrated to meet the needs of the changed global context
A series of constitutional, political, logistical, and temporal constraints will have to be resolved if a legitimate election is to be held in spring
How students and teachers of Dhulabari Higher Secondary School coped with distance learning in 2020
A Nepali-American doctor in the US who has gotten vaccinated presents his thoughts on what Nepalis can expect from the vaccines that could be available here
Of late, the government has become far too lax about Covid-19 protocols
The PM creates chaos, and invites ridicule for dissolving parliament at a time when he should be focusing on the Covid-19 crisis
After suffering injustice for years, the farmers have finally descended on Kathmandu to press their demands
The coronavirus numbers have gone down only because testing has decreased, but the government would have you believe otherwise
Poorer Nepalis with chronic diseases such as kidney ailments are struggling to afford and avail of medical care during the Covid-19 pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has become yet another excuse for the government to delay long-overdue investigations into war-era crimes
Fraught relations within Nepal’s ruling party likely to cause delay in the entry of Covid vaccines when ready
Tourism entrepreneurs, workers cautiously welcome the country’s opening up again
Even as health workers continue to sacrifice their lives in the line of duty, the government continues to turn a blind eye to their problems
One in every five PCR tests coming out positive shows an alarming rate of spread which will worsen as winter deepens
With 202,329 cases, the country has reached a new milestone in the coronavirus pandemic
In recent times, the Supreme Court, which has handed down many controversial verdicts, seems to be the only state organ that cares about public health
Unless the government treats health workers better, soon there won’t be any of them available to tackled the deepening Covid-19 crisis
The economic meltdown caused by Covid-19 has left many of Kathmandu’s landlords without tenants
To get back to normalcy, Rukum did the right things at the right time, in contrast to Kathmandu’s helter-skelter approach to Covid-19
On the eve of Dashain, the nation records yet another highest single daily rise in Covid cases
The government’s latest decision to stop providing free testing and treatment for Covid-19 patients is being panned by a growing group of political leaders
Experts warn that increased, unfettered mobility of people across the country will increase Covid-19 spread
The strict protocols around the PM’s safety contradict the government’s overall lacklustre Covid response
The infection count could double in 20 days–such numbers could break the country’s health system
At 100,000 cases, the coronavirus pandemic in Nepal appears nowhere near ending
Increased testing finally reveals full extent of Covid proliferation in Nepal
To lessen the load on the country’s hospitals, the government has asked that people go to the hospital only for medical emergencies
While the affluent can pick and choose, for many who are poor, Covid treatment is a distant reality
Delayed test results and govt’s mismanagement impede Covid-infected individuals seeking to isolate themselves.
Four days into their protest, journalists still wait to be taken seriously
Unless the private medical sector treats its health workers better, its institutions might soon run out of staff
Baluwatar turns into a Covid hotbed as four of Oli’s closest aides test positive
With people venturing out more, and with the festival season just around the corner, Nepal is staring at even bleaker days in the very near future
Kathmandu Valley records 943 cases, the highest single-day rise so far, and comprising half the country’s new daily Covid-19 infections
The government’s indecision about vaccine imports and trials is going to cost the people dearly
Trends suggest that Nepal will cross the 25,000 threshold for active Covid-19 infections next week
The sudden surge in the number of deaths is an indication that Nepal’s Covid crisis is deepening
The death of an inmate from Kathmandu’s Central Jail and the subsequent row over his putrefying body is a testament to the jail management’s shortcomings in handling the coronavirus crisis
A Chitwan hospital has begun antigen tests, pre-empting the government’s directives
Unless Nepal comprehensively overhauls its disaster response mechanisms, we’ll continue to see the nation reeling with every crisis
The need for travel, connectivity, and revival of the economy has overwhelmed the need for safety
Two days after the end of lockdown, the spread of coronavirus has passed a new threshold
A new set of rules enforced on the eve of the reopening appear designed to ensure Covid’s rapid spread rather than containment
We anthropomorphize the economy by using words such as ‘healthy’ to describe it, while reducing human beings who live and breathe to mere numbers
The government’s latest set of decisions has baffled experts and the public alike
Three countries are courting Nepal to conduct anti-corona vaccines here, but experts caution Nepal to proceed carefully
At the current rate, confirmed Covid cases will almost double when the prohibitory order expires next week
Kathmandu Valley sees record high coronavirus cases with the easing of prohibitory orders
A three week long prohibitory order has been eased in the capital, allowing regulated mobility of people
For many paddy farmers, using fertilisers this time of year is crucial
Even as health experts push for more tests, govt has started scaling them down
The govt has finally heeded expert suggestions to create a hospital dedicated only to treating coronavirus cases
Even though the government has mandated private health institutions to open their services to Covid-19 patients, many are denying them treatment
With the govt unable to implement a coherent Covid strategy–including regarding festivals–fed up Lalitpur denizens take matters into their own hands
The decision was made by authorities since the coronavirus has continued to rise at a steady pace for the past week
Nepal’s prison system is inadequately equipped to deal with mounting coronavirus cases
A steady rise in new Covid-19 cases in the past weeks proves community-level spread is here, warn public health experts, but the government remains in denial still
Not instituting the right measures from the get go has turned the capital into a coronavirus hotbed
The government’s recent stringent measures seem to be a response to more and more public figures getting infected
Posting stern warnings online, essential service providers turn the tables on harassers
The valley records another highest daily rise in cases, but efforts at contact tracing haven’t yet begun
The Kathmandu Valley recorded its single highest daily cases with 301 new infections
A joint meeting of the District Covid 19 Crisis Management Center (DCCMC), which comprises the chief district officers (CDOs), mayors, and security agencies of Kathmandu Valley, has recommended that the government extend the existing prohibitory protocols by a week. The current prohibitory orders, issued by the valley’s three districts–Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhakatapur–end Wednesday midnight. The […]
Many frontline workers are neither being paid the promised risk allowances nor their salaries
With the government repealing its earlier three-tier designation for Covid hospitals, Covid-19 patients need no longer get shuttled between hospitals if they get sicker
In a move that was long overdue, Nepal’s government to start tracking patient contacts
By not focusing on contact tracing and other measures, the government is missing the whole point of clamping lockdowns
The Valley’s CDOs got the government’s green light to clamp strict measures on account of rising case numbers
Covid-19 cases have continued to rise despite a partial lockdown
Kathmandu must brace itself as Covid cases continue to rise
The government is scrambling to find much-needed beds for the infected, but is getting no help
Preventing coronavirus spread in Nepal’s overcrowded jails is becoming near impossible
As the case numbers and deaths keep increasing, Nepal seems to be staring at a brewing disaster
More people are getting critically ill, and dying, as Covid-19 continues to spread rapidly across Nepal
A sharp rise in Covid infections has compelled the government to buckle up
Several inmates have died by suicide while many others have been hobbled by the depression and anxiety resulting from conditions inside Nepal’s ill-managed quarantine facilities
A message circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger claims that an Indian student from Pondicherry University has found a cure for COVID-19, and the “home remedy” has been approved by World Health Organization (WHO).
A Nepali doctor speaks about tending to Covid patients in a New York hospital
The life of a medical professional grappling with the Covid19 crisis in Rolpa
The unreliable RDT kits deployed by the govt have made the Covid crisis worse
A daily summary of Covid19-related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19-related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19-related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19-related developments that matter
Nepal’s first three Covid19 deaths could have been avoided with timely ambulance services and adequate medical care
A daily summary of Covid19-related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19-related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19-related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19-related developments that matter
Recruitment of volunteers to enforce the lockdown has had mixed results
A daily summary of all the COVID19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Of the many pandemic recovery challenges, food security will be a significant one
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
In South Asia, social distancing directs violence, exclusion and bigotry upon the already marginalised
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
The disruption in the tourism industry has hit hardest those working irregularly, like porters and guides.
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
The dispersed movement of people and animals roaming freely have made wildlife more vulnerable to poachers
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
The ban on yarsa harvesting, implemented to contain Covid19 spread, has upended Dolpa’s economy
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Dignified regional cooperation is the need of the hour and self-reliance the major goal
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
The lockdown presents us with the opportunity to be more innovative and resourceful as educators
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Covid19 has come as a wake up call to change the human-nature relationship
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Decentralised governance has helped abate the Covid19 crisis
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Already marginalised by the state, the Dolpo people are more vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
A dozen media outlets in Nepal have published news claiming that the World Health Organization (WHO) has removed Nepal from the list of countries at high risk of COVID-19.
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
Ordinances may have been scrapped but Oli’s credibility as the nation’s leader has reached a point of no return
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Efficient response systems will save lives
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Oli’s reputation has deteriorated alongside his questionable decisions as the nation’s premier
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Due to the closed border, a migrant worker is unable to fulfill his funeral duties upon his mother’s death
Nepal’s first Covid19 death was not caused by the coronavirus
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
People on the frontline continue to work despite fears and palpable risks
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Many stranded at the Nepal-India border are seasonal migrants who ought to be brought back and allowed to work on their farmlands
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
The world’s largest missionary movement cannot be blamed exclusively for its role in the Covid19 pandemic
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
The costs of the government-imposed lockdown far outweigh benefits
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
Insights on the trials and investigations for vaccines and drugs to treat COVID-19 patients.
Social distancing inadvertently validates the ostracisation entrenched in the history of South Asia
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
The institutionalized elderly in Kathmandu have found their diets significantly altered by gas shortage
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter
Health workers need safety equipment to save patients’ lives
Daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
Despite the government’s relief package, the poor and out-of-job in Kathmandu are not consoled
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
The coronavirus has cut through the democratic facade to show how deep inequality runs in Nepali society
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
The coronavirus pandemic highlights longstanding class differences and their unequal repercussions on our society
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
The government is responding to this crisis with make-do solutions
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter.
Many Nepalis are despairing at the Nepal-India border after being denied entry to their own country
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
The coronavirus pandemic stands as a stark warning for a far more menacing ecological crisis
A daily summary of all Covid19 related developments that matter
As a mental health crisis unravels on many fronts, how do we cope?