32 die of coronavirus infection in Nepal in last four days
At least 32 people have died of coronavirus infection in the last four days in Nepal.
During a regular press briefing of the Ministry of Health and Population, spokesperson Dr Sangita Mishra said that 32 people lost their lives to the disease from January 27 to 30.
She said that 12 people lost their lives in Bir Hospital while 20 in various hospitals of the country.
Meanwhile, Nepal recorded 13,145 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours.
The Ministry said that 6,359 infected people recovered from the disease.
There are 83,999 active cases in the country.
Students in Parsa deprived of Covid-19 vaccine
The government has directed the concerned authorities to inoculate students across the country from Sunday. But, the programme to administer the Covid-19 vaccine to the children of Parsa district has become uncertain.
The Ministry of Education has directed the authorities to administer Covid-19 vaccine to the students between the age of 12 and 17 in the schools from today till Wednesday.
But, the program to vaccinate the students of the targeted group has become uncertain in the Parsa district due to lack of vaccines.
Nepal Teachers’ Association, Birgunj Chairman Binod Mehata said that community schools in Birgunj Metropolitan City in Parsa will remain closed until the students receive the vaccine.
Thori Rural Municipality health coordinator Ramesh Raj Thieng said that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines meant for students have not arrived in the rural municipality yet.
He said that the vaccination programme has been affected due to lack of vaccine.
Teachers’ coordinator Bhupal KumarJoshi said that the list of the names of students between the age of 12 and 17 from all the community schools of Thori have already been sent to the rural municipality.
He said that there are around 2,500 students between the age of 12 and 17 who have not taken the vaccine yet.
Nawal Kishor Sah, Acting Chief of the Health Office in Parsa, said that the vaccination program has been affected due to lack of vaccine.
He said that the students will be jabbed soon after they receive the vaccine.
Government starts providing 'booster' dose to elderly
The government has started administering booster dose vaccine against coronavirus to senior citizens aged above 60.
Assistant Spokesperson for Ministry of Health and Population Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari said that the ministry had begun inoculating booster dose to senior citizens above 60 and who have completed six months after receiving the second dose of the vaccine.
A ministerial meeting chaired by Health Minister Birodh Khatiwada yesterday decided to send a letter to the district health offices of all 77 districts to administer vaccines.
The ministry is administering vaccines to the senior citizens based on the recent recommendations of the World Health Organisation's Strategic Advisory Group of Expert on Immunisation and National Vaccination Advisory Committee.
The ministry has sent a letter to the district offices to administer Covishield or AstraZeneca vaccines to those who have already been inoculated with the full dose of Covishield or AstraZeneca or Moderna or Pfizer or Vero Cell and provide Covishield or AstreZeneca to those who are yet to get the second dose. RSS
Martyrs' day being observed today
Martyr’s Day is being observed across the country today with various programmes.
The day is marked every year on Magh 16 in the Lunar calendar in memory of the people who sacrificed their lives during different times to establish and restore democracy.
The government has announced to observe a week-long martyr’s day from Magh 10 to 16 with various programmes.
A team of people from various walks of life including the Prime Minister, ministers, high ranking officials of the government, people’s representatives and officials of security agencies along with a band of musicians is scheduled to take out a procession from Shanti Batika at Ratnapark to conclude at the Martyr’s Monument at the Martyr’s Memorial Park in Lainchaur where they will offer garlands to known and unknown martyrs, it has been said.
The participants have been asked to strictly follow the health protocols against global COVID-19.
Similarly, a programme has been scheduled at the National Martyr’s Memorial under construction at Gokarneshwor in Kathmandu.
Minister for Forest and Environment Ram Sahaya Yadav is scheduled to present in the programme as a chief guest, said Sudarshan Sigdel, chair of the Yagyadol community forest users’ group. RSS
