Kathmandu: A new wave of coronavirus in Nepal may reach its peak in June if the necessary precautions are not taken in advance, the country’s health minister warned on Monday, as the number of Covid-19 cases reached 278,210 in the Himalayan nation.
Addressing a meeting of the House of Representatives, Minister for Health and Population Hridayash Tripathi said the rate of Covid-19 infection, which had gone down from October, has started rising since February.
“If we fail to effectively implement and abide by the public health protocols against this viral infection such as wearing mask and maintaining social distancing, current trend indicates that the country might witness another peak in June later this year,” he warned.
Tripathi also said the Nepal government was planning to vaccinate at least six million people by mid-July.
A new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Nepal can reach its peak in June if necessary precautions are not adopted in advance, he said.
The growing Covid-19 infections in India has alarmed Nepal, the minister said, adding that the government was making preparations so that it is not forced to go for a lockdown again.
Coronavirus cases in India hit a record daily high since the outbreak of the pandemic with 1,03,558 new infections pushing the nationwide Covid-19 tally to 1,25,89,067, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, a total of 266 new cases of Covid-19 were detected in Nepal over the past 24 hours. With this, the total Covid–19 caseload has reached 278,210 in the country.
A total of 102 persons infected with Covid-19 recovered in Nepal on Monday. The total number of recoveries has reached 273,342 in the country till April 5, it said.
There are currently 1,832 corona active cases across the country. Four infected persons have died in the past 24 hours. The Covid-19 death toll stands at 3,036 in Nepal as of Monday, the Ministry said.