I see that poor India is making headlines because of the devastation the new wave of the pandemic is causing there. In Nepal too cases – and tension – are rising. The government here have taken the difficult but wise decision to call for another lockdown to try to turn the tide of this awful virus.
We manged to get out to Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts during the week just as lockdown was being announced but even so were able to look at some of the impressive work being done by Simon and his colleagues on the
Purnima programme. Traffic moving in and out of the Kathmandu Valley was horrendous. One colleague was stuck in a jam for ten hours. Reportedly half a million people fled the Valley that day – before lockdown began at 6am yesterday. I was shocked to see how cram-packed the buses were on Wednesday – proving the perfect environment for incubating and facilitating COVID-19 transmission.
Now though, I am pleased to say that buses aren’t running, and only vehicles plying essential services are allowed on the streets. I was even challenged by police riding my bicycle this morning.
Food and essential shops are open from 5 – 10am and then again from 5pm, but even during these hours the streets are deserted and the city is ominously quiet.
We already know several people who have become ill and tested positive so we are so grateful to have been able to get fully vaccinated. We received one dose in the UK and had a second dose of the ‘Oxford’ vaccine, but made in India (as Covishield) nine days ago. Meanwhile the government are doing an impressive job of vaccinating large numbers of people in the Valley, even if vaccine supplies might take a while to reach outlying districts. This is the right strategy though. There are lots of cases in the capital and plenty of scope for transmission of the virus.
Citizens here are being offered protection with Chinese vaccine, and Russian vaccine and maybe Moderna's are also expected in Nepal too, so let us hope these measures help stem the progression of this awful infection.
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Much needed road repairs close to Shivapuri, and one major route out of Kathmandu |
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A 45-minute wait for road works |
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An overcrowded public bus is a likely hotbed of virus transmission |
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Meanwhile, even close to major roads, forests are still burning and the air quality is still 'unhealthy'. So whose cough is from pollution and whose from COVID? |