Gandaki Province likely to be Covid-19 hotspot as cases spike

Pokhara, August 15

The Covid-19 spread in Gandaki Province has become rapid as cases have tripled in the past month.

According to data provided by the Province’s health directorate, the number of people dying in the province has also increased.

A month ago, Gandaki Province had 2,628 active Covid-19 cases. The number has now gone up to 6,102 with districts like Kaski, Nawalpur, Syangja, Gorkha and Baglung being most affected. Kaski alone has reportedly 2,051 active cases. There have been 75,306 cases recorded in the Province as of Saturday out of which 68,000 have recovered and the rest are in isolation.

The number of people dying has also increased as 172 people have lost their lives to Covid-19 in the past month. 

Doctors in the province are warning that the number might go up as hospitals are filling up with Covid-19 patients and the demand for oxygen is also increasing. This has resulted in Baglung going into lockdown again from August 12 to 21.

The reason for the sudden surge, according to Dr Bikash Gauchan of the Infectious and Communicable Disease Hospital in Pokhara, is the unmanaged vaccination centres which have acted like a coronavirus hotspot and people being careless.

Dr Gauchan says that Covid-19 protocols are not being followed in these vaccination centres due to which the situation is getting out of hand. 

“Wherever you go, you will see a crowd of people. There are public events happening, political rallies and meetings taking place whereas public buses are also full of people. These all contribute to the surge,” says Dr Gauchan. “But we have realised that vaccination centres in Gandaki province have become a hotspot for Covid-19. There is no social distancing and no management whatsoever.”

Data last collected on August 14