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Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring, Nepal
Focused COVID-19 Media Monitoring Nepal1
-Sharpening the COVID-19 Response through Communications Intelligence
Date: 7 February 2022
Kathmandu, Nepal
EMERGING THEME(S)
• Nepal reported 1 183 new COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths on 6 February; Manang has recorded zero cases of COVID-19
becoming the first district in Nepal to do so in the third wave
• Odd-even number plate system lifted in Kathmandu Valley from 7 February onwards, educational institutions to reopen
from 13 February, gatherings of all kinds still banned
• Image of a volunteer’s service beyond call of duty exposes Nepal’s health inequities
• Government mulling giving booster shot to those above 50 and living in big cities and densely populated areas; Health
Ministry Secretary backs decision to give Covishield shots as common booster dose
• 51.1% population of Nepal fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of 3 February; US congratulates Nepal on fully
vaccinating 70% of the population
• Over 225 Nepali students pursuing MBBS studies in China denied entry into China as their COVID-19 vaccination cards
are not accepted; majority of them have been vaccinated with Chinese Vero Cell vaccine
• World’s first human challenge trial in COVID-19 research found to be safe in healthy young adults, according to study
leaders
1This intelligence is tracked through manually monitoring national print, digital and online media through a representative sample selection,
and consultations with media persons and media influencers.
WHE Communications Intelligence 2ISSUE(S) IN FOCUS The national active COVID-19 caseload of Nepal climbed to 45 248 on 6 February as 1 183 people tested positive for the infection in the past 24 hours. The latest reported number of infections carried the nationwide tally to 966 405, while the death toll reached 11 814 as 11 fatalities were recorded. Nepal's COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 94.1%, while the fatality rate stands at 1.3%.2 Manang has become the first district to record zero cases of COVID-19 infection since the beginning of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.3 The rate of COVID-19 infection came down to 20.1% on 5 February, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. The infection rate in the country has been going down continually in the past 2 weeks.4 The positivity rate of COVID-19 infection was recorded at 22% on 4 February, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. The third wave, which began on 31 December 2021, has started going down, after nearly a month. The infection rate had even reached 50% since the beginning of the third wave.5 Senior citizens as well as youth have lost their lives to COVID-19 in the Sudurpashchim Province during the third wave of the pandemic. But most of them include those who had not been vaccinated or had been suffering from some kind of chronic illness.6 The COVID-19 infection has been seen in 131 people in Jumla in the third wave of the pandemic. Most of them are in home isolation, while those in critical condition have been staying in hospital under the supervision of doctors. The Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Jumla has said no serious case has been seen in the third wave.7 2 THT Online 3 Ratopati 4 Nayapatrika 5 Nayapatrika 6 Onlinekhabar 7 Nagarik WHE Communications Intelligence 3
The District Administration Offices of Kathmandu Valley have issued new orders effective from 7 February. Keeping in view the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, they have banned the organization of all kinds of rallies, mass gatherings, jatras and other activities that cause crowds. However, they have removed the odd-even number plate system in vehicles. The educational institution will be allowed to reopen from 13 February.8 The COVID-19 Crisis Management Coordination Center (CCMCC) has recommended the government to remove the odd-even number plate system in vehicles, effective from 7 February. The meeting of 6 February also recommended that schools be allowed to run classes physically from 13 February. According to Sunita Nepal, Spokesperson of CCMCC, children above the age of 12 can attend physical classes adhering to the health protocols. Those below the age of 12 should attend classes turn- by-turn, on days specified for them. Likewise, gyms, futsal halls, film halls, night businesses among others can also be reopened from 7 February, adhering to health protocols.9 Last Friday (28 January), the image of a woman carrying an elderly woman on her back made it to social media, quickly drawing a lot of attention, with users widely sharing the photo. The person in the light blue sari with dark blue border, which made it easy to figure out that she was a female community health volunteer, was Leela Thapa. The image was from Gaudakot Ward-3 of Gulmi Durbar Rural Municipality. Underneath Thapa’s act of kindness and her service beyond the call of duty lies yet another sad reality. Even in the 21st Century, a huge number of Nepalis do not have easy access to basic healthcare services.10 People over 50 years of age residing in densely populated areas and big cities are likely to get booster shots, once the current booster program for people over 60 years is complete. Officials at the Ministry of Health and Population said booster shots will be provided in stages starting with people over 50 years residing in densely populated areas and big cities while prioritizing those in the risk groups and priority groups receiving the booster shot in the first stage.11 8 Setopati 9 Onlinekhabar 10 The Kathmandu Post 11 The Kathmandu Post WHE Communications Intelligence 4
Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population Roshan Pokharel said that he was not opposed to the Ministry’s recent decision to use Covishield as the common COVID-19 booster dose for those above 60 and the ones with compromised immunity.12 Nepal COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 50% as the country inoculated 14.9 million people with both doses as of 3 February, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. The Ministry’s daily vaccine coverage report shows that with 266 540 people vaccinated in the last 24 hours, the proportion of fully vaccinated or people having both doses, has reached 51.1%. 13 The United States of America has congratulated Nepal for being able to administer the complete doses of the vaccine against COVID-19 to 70% of its population.14 The vaccination campaign against COVID-19 for children between 12 and 17 years has started in Bajura. Chief of Bajura Health Office Daya Krishna Panta said that children who received the second dose will receive the second dose, and children who had not received the first dose would get the first dose from vaccination centers. Schools have reopened from 3-7 February for the vaccination campaign.15 A lack of sufficient doses and accessibility to healthcare centers as well as adverse weather conditions are some factors that have hampered the ongoing immunization campaign against COVID-19, say officials. Local units of Bajhang have halted the vaccination drive citing vaccine shortage. On 4 February, the District Hospital of Humla could not continue its COVID-19 vaccination program due to heavy snowfall with temperatures in the district plunging to minus seven degrees Celsius. Health authorities were struggling to maintain the cold chain for the vaccine due to power disruption. 16 12 The Himalayan Times 13 The Kathmandu Post 14 Ratopati 15 The Himalayan Times 16 The Kathmandu Post WHE Communications Intelligence 5
The vaccination drive against COVID-19 in Manang has been affected due to heavy snowfall. As such the vaccination drive has been cancelled for now in Upper Manang and Narpabhumi Rural Municipality. 17 A total of 76% children of Banke have been administered the Moderna vaccine against COVID-19. The vaccination drive had been conducted on 2 and 3 February when children aged 12-17 had been given the jabs.18 The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is set to administer the second dose of Pfizer vaccine from 7 February to 17 February. The vaccine will be administered by setting up immunization centers in the schools of all 32 wards of KMC.19 More than 225 Nepali students who are pursuing medical education in China have been denied entry into China to complete their course. Apparently, their vaccination certificates are not being accepted, ironically, most of them have been vaccinated with Chinese Vero Cell vaccine. To add to their woes, the Nepal Medical Council is not allowing those among them who have completed their MBBS to do internship/house surgeonship in Nepal.20 The world's first human challenge trial, in which volunteers were deliberately exposed to COVID-19 to advance research into the disease was found to be safe in healthy young adults, leaders of the study said. The data supports the safety of this model and lays the groundwork for future studies to test new vaccines and medicines against COVID-19 using this kind of trial by the end of this year, the team added.21 17 Baahrakhari 18 Nayapatrika 19 Onlinekhabar 20 The Himalayan Times 21 Reuters (in Nagarik) WHE Communications Intelligence 6
OTHER(S)
National News
A dozen frontline healthcare workers of Damauli Hospital in Tanahun district, who served during the first and second waves of
COVID-19, have handed over a memo to the chief district officer demanding risk allowance. The third wave of COVID-19 is
spreading rapidly in the country. These frontline healthcare workers hired on contractual basis by the hospital bemoan that
they have not been paid allowance for nearly 18 months. In the memo, the healthcare workers called for positive intervention of
the Chief District Office for releasing risk allowance to them.22
The District Administration Office, Gulmi has started a turn-by-turn system to render services to the people from different local
levels within the district, effective from 6 February.23
The government has made it clear that it has made the vaccine card mandatory to access public services so as to ensure that
every citizen has access to the vaccine against COVID-19. As many people stopped visiting immunization centers to get the
jab, the government adopted the policy to include everyone within the vaccination program, Dr Sangita Mishra, Spokesperson
at the Ministry of Health and Population clarified.24
Various studies have suggested that most of the students in Nepal lack access to virtual learning and this form of learning is
not effective even in places with good connectivity. Education experts say the learning achievement of students has plunged
for 2 reasons: first, most students do not have access to virtual learning platforms, and second, teaching-learning has further
declined after their studies shifted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.25
22
Rastriya Samachar Samiti (in The Himalayan Times)
23
Onlinekhabar
24
Onlinekhabar
25
The Kathmandu Post
WHE Communications Intelligence 7The COVID-19 pandemic has made an impact in the nutrition of the children of families that were already struggling to get a full meal, according to the reports of various surveys. Parents losing their jobs, financial crisis, erratic supply of food, inflation, and irregular classes in schools due to the pandemic have made a direct impact on the nutrition of children, according to nutritionist Uma Koirala. Though the impact of the two-year pandemic is not seen immediately, the visible impacts will be seen in the next 3-4 years, she said.26 The treatment of cancer patients has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Dr Bijay Chandra Acharya, gynecologist at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Chitwan. There was a decline of nearly 40-45% patients in our OPD last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as per the doctor who added this has created a huge gap between the cancer patients and their treatment.27 The District Administration Office (DAO), Chitwan has sent a complaint to the Ministry of Health and Population against the Chitwan Medical College that had charged the COVID-19-infected for treatment against an agreement reached and had also asked the government for compensation claiming to have done the treatment free of cost. The DAO Office has sent the complaint along with a proof of 10 patients who had undergone their treatment there.28 Despite the Ministry of Education and District Administration Office issuing an order to not reopen schools till the end of Magh (12 February), some schools in Kathmandu Valley have disobeyed the orders. The Gokarneshwor Municipality has decided to reopen schools in its area from 6 February, while some schools in Bhaktapur have already started physical classes. Some local levels outside of Kathmandu Valley too have been running physical classes. The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Education Deepak Sharma says the local levels should follow the orders of local administration and said the permission has been granted to reopen schools for vaccination, but no approval has been given to run classes physically. Meanwhile, Subh 26 Kantipur 27 Nayapatrika 28 Nayapatrika WHE Communications Intelligence 8
Prabhat Bhandari, President of the Guardians Association said the local levels should be given the authority on whether to
reopen the schools or not as the decision made by the center might not be applicable for all.29
The Insurance Board, insurance companies, and re-insurance companies have agreed to pay nearly Rs 5 billion among the
total insurance amount that needs to be paid to the insurance holders of COVID-19 insurance. This is 45% of the total amount
the government is supposed to pay the people who bought the insurance policy against COVID-19. If the Ministry of Finance
agrees to this, then the insurance amount of stakeholders can be paid immediately.30
Nepal welcomed a total of 16 975 foreign nationals via air route in January, with 32.4% of arrivals from the SAARC region. The
data, analyzed and compiled by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), unveiled on 3 February show that the number of foreign
visitors nearly doubled when compared to the corresponding period of last year. However, the emergence and rapid spread of
the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has discouraged travel and many countries have curbs again. Consequently, Nepal’s
foreign visitors’ number that had gone up to 26 135 in November last year had fallen slightly to 24 679 in December, as per the
Department of Immigration.31
International News
Two years after the outbreak of COVID-19, Europe could soon enter a “long period of tranquility” due to high vaccination rates,
the milder Omicron variant and the end of winter, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on 3 February. WHO Europe
Director Hans Kluge said the respite was “a ceasefire that could bring us enduring peace”.32
There is a realistic possibility of large waves of COVID-19 infection in the future in Britain and such waves might even be
considered likely, epidemiologists who model the COVID-19 pandemic to inform government advice have said. The Scientific
29
Nayapatrika
30
Kantipur
31
The Himalayan Times
32
Agence France Press (in The Himalayan Times)
WHE Communications Intelligence 9Pandemic Influenza Group on Modeling Operational sub-group (SPI-M-O) said the emergence of new viral variants was the biggest unknown factor in the medium-to-long term, along with waning population immunity and changes in mixing patterns.33 The head of the World Health Organization said on 5 February he had discussed with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang the need for stronger collaboration on the origins of COVID-19, a subject of controversy that has strained Beijing’s relations with the West. “Pleased to meet with Premier Li Keqiang,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted. “We discussed COVID-19 and the need for an aggressive effort on VaccinEquity this year to vaccinate 70% of all populations,” he said, referring to the WHO campaign for fair access to vaccines around the world. “We also discussed the need for stronger collaboration on COVID-19 virus origins, rooted in science and evidence.” 34 Hong Kong reported 351 cases of coronavirus on 6 February, a record daily high the outbreak of the pandemic, further pressuring the government’s “dynamic zero-COVID” strategy as other major cities opt to live with the virus. Health Secretary Sophia Chan said at a news conference she expects cases to rise “exponentially” following the Lunar New Year holiday due to an increase in family and social gatherings and appealed several times for people to stay indoors. About 160 of the latest cases had no clear source and were still being investigated, authorities said.35 Propelled in part by the wildly contagious Omicron variant, the US death toll from COVID-19 hit 900 000 on 4 February, less than 2 months after eclipsing 800 000. The 2-year total, as compiled by John Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Indianapolis, San Francisco, or Charlotte, North Carolina.36 With American hospitals facing a dire shortage of nurses and a slogging pandemic, many are looking abroad for healthcare workers. And it could be just in time. There is an unusually high number of green cards available this year for foreign professionals, including nurses, who want to move to the United States — twice as many as just a few years ago. That’s because US consulates shut down during the coronavirus pandemic weren’t issuing visas to relatives of American citizens, and by law, these unused slots now get transferred to eligible workers. US hospitals are struggling with a shortage of nurses that 33 Reuters (in The Kathmandu Post) 34 Reuters (in The Himalayan Times) 35 Reuters (in The Himalayan Times) 36 The Associated Press (in The Himalayan Times) WHE Communications Intelligence 10
worsened as pandemic burnout led many to retire or leave their jobs. Meanwhile, coronavirus cases continue to rise and fall, placing tremendous pressure on the healthcare system.37 Canadian cities, including the financial hub Toronto, are bracing for disruptions this weekend as protests against vaccine mandates spread from the capital of Ottawa. The so-called “Freedom Convoy” began as a movement against a vaccine requirement for cross-border truckers, but has turned into a rallying point against public health measures. Protestors have shut down downtown Ottawa for the past 8 days.38 A study by governing body UEFA showed the COVID-19 pandemic cost European clubs 7 billion euros (US$7.91 billion) across 2 seasons even as player wages at top sides rose by 2% to 11.9 billion euros (US$13.45 billion) during the period. 39 37 The Associated Press (in The Kathmandu Post) 38 Reuters (in The Kathmandu Post) 39 Reuters (in The Himalayan Times) WHE Communications Intelligence 11
Contacts for further details Ms Tsering Dolkar Gurung NPO (Communication, Media, and Public Information) World Health Organization, Country Office for Nepal Gurungt@who.int WHO’s COVID-19 response in Nepal is made possible through the generous support of the Government of Canada. Reference Code: 22FEB07MM_127 WHE Communications Intelligence 12
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