COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal

COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
Disease	COVID-19
Virus strain	SARS-CoV-2
Location	Nepal
First outbreak	Wuhan, Hubei, China
Index case	Kathmandu, Bagmati Province
Arrival date	9 January 2020; (4 years, 3 months, 2 weeks and 1 day)
Date	23 January 2020
Confirmed cases	1,003,450 (updated 7 May 2024)
Active cases	3,714 (26 July)
Recovered	968,802 (26 July)
Deaths	12,031 (updated 7 May 2024)
Fatality rate	1.21% (26 July)
Territories	Active cases in out of 77 districts
Vaccinations	27,883,196 (total vaccinated); 24,471,043 (fully vaccinated); 62,627,629 (doses administered);
Government website
	COVID-19 Dashboard (MoHP) ; Nepal COVID-19 official situation reports ; Nepal COVID-19 Monitor (NDRRMA)

The COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first case in Nepal was confirmed on 23 January 2020 when a 31-year-old student, who had returned to Kathmandu from Wuhan on 9 January, tested positive for the disease.^[3] It was also the first recorded case of COVID-19 in South Asia.^[4] Nepal's first case of local transmission was confirmed on 4 April in Kailali District. The first death occurred on 14 May. A country-wide lockdown came into effect on 24 March 2020, and ended on 21 July 2020.^[5] As of 26 July 2022, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has confirmed a total of 984,475 cases, 968,802 recoveries, and 11,959 deaths in the country.^[2] In the meantime, 5,804,358 real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) tests have been performed in 40 laboratories across the country.^[2] The viral disease has been detected in all provinces and districts of the country, with Bagmati Province and Kathmandu being the worst hit province and district respectively. As for Nepalese abroad, as of 26 July 2020, the Non-Resident Nepali Association has reported a total of 12,667 confirmed cases, 16,190 recoveries, and 161 deaths across 35 countries.^[6]

Between January and March, Nepal took steps to prevent a widespread outbreak of the disease while preparing for it by procuring essential supplies, equipment and medicine, upgrading health infrastructure, training medical personnel, and spreading public awareness. Starting in mid-January, Nepal established health-desks at Tribhuvan International Airport as well as at border checkpoints with India. Land borders with India as well as China were later completely sealed off, and all international flights were suspended. All academic examinations were cancelled, and schools and colleges were closed. Quarantine centres and temporary hospitals are being set up across the country. Laboratory facilities are being upgraded and expanded. Hospitals have been setting up ICU units and isolation beds. The SAARC countries have pledged to cooperate in controlling the disease in the region. India, the United States and Germany increased their support to Nepali health sectors.

The pandemic forced Nepal to cancel the then ongoing Visit Nepal Year 2020 tourism campaign.^[7] The country's economy is expected to be severely affected due to the pandemic's impact on tourism, remittance, manufacturing, construction, and trade.^[8] The World Bank has warned that the pandemic could push about one-third of the country's population below the International Poverty Line (i.e., $1.90 per day).^[9]

Vaccination for COVID-19 began in Nepal on 27 January 2021.^[10]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Ritchie, Hannah; Mathieu, Edouard; Rodés-Guirao, Lucas; Appel, Cameron; Giattino, Charlie; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Hasell, Joe; Macdonald, Bobbie; Beltekian, Diana; Dattani, Saloni; Roser, Max (2020–2022). "Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)". Our World in Data. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "COVID-19 Dashboard". Ministry of Health and Population (Nepal). Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
^ Shrestha, Ranish; Shrestha, Sunil; Khanal, Pratik; Kc, Bhuvan (18 May 2020). "Nepal's first case of COVID-19 and public health response". Journal of Travel Medicine. 27 (3): taaa024. doi:10.1093/jtm/taaa024. ISSN 1195-1982. PMC 7107523. PMID 32104884. One confirmed case in Nepal was a native student, studying in Wuhan, with symptom onset on 3 January 2020. The infected 32-year-old male had returned on 9 January to spend winter holidays in Nepal... On 23 January 2020, the test results came back confirming COVID-19, although the man had been discharged.
^ "Nepal Reports South Asia's First Confirmed Case Of Deadly Coronavirus". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
^ Pradhan, Tika R (21 July 2020). "Government decides to lift the four-month-long coronavirus lockdown, but with conditions". Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020. The government has announced an end of the nationwide lockdown that it had imposed starting March 24 to contain the spread of Covid-19. Minister for Finance and Communication Yubaraj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, told a press briefing that Monday's Cabinet meeting had decided to lift the lockdown effective from Tuesday midnight with a few restrictions such as a ban on large gatherings still in place.
^ "206 Nepalis die of coronavirus across the globe as of Saturday evening". My Republica. 26 July 2020. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
^ Prasain, Sangam (31 March 2020). "Visit Nepal 2020 called off, finally". The Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020. Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, secretary at the Tourism Ministry, told the Post that last Sunday's (March 22) cabinet meeting decided to call off the campaign that aimed to draw 2 million tourists in the country this year.
^ "Govt to carry out impact assessment of coronavirus on economy". The Himalayan Times. 6 March 2020. Archived from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
^ "COVID-19 could push nearly one-third of Nepal's population below poverty line: World Bank report". Xinhua News Agency. 23 July 2020. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
^ "COVID-19 vaccination drive to commence from Wednesday in Nepal". The Himalayan Times. 24 January 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.

[Template:COVID-19_data-1] Ritchie, Hannah; Mathieu, Edouard; Rodés-Guirao, Lucas; Appel, Cameron; Giattino, Charlie; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Hasell, Joe; Macdonald, Bobbie; Beltekian, Diana; Dattani, Saloni; Roser, Max (2020–2022). "Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)". Our World in Data. Retrieved 7 May 2024.

[mohp1-2] "COVID-19 Dashboard". Ministry of Health and Population (Nepal). Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2022.

[3] Shrestha, Ranish; Shrestha, Sunil; Khanal, Pratik; Kc, Bhuvan (18 May 2020). "Nepal's first case of COVID-19 and public health response". Journal of Travel Medicine. 27 (3): taaa024. doi:10.1093/jtm/taaa024. ISSN 1195-1982. PMC 7107523. PMID 32104884. One confirmed case in Nepal was a native student, studying in Wuhan, with symptom onset on 3 January 2020. The infected 32-year-old male had returned on 9 January to spend winter holidays in Nepal... On 23 January 2020, the test results came back confirming COVID-19, although the man had been discharged.

[4] "Nepal Reports South Asia's First Confirmed Case Of Deadly Coronavirus". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.

[5] Pradhan, Tika R (21 July 2020). "Government decides to lift the four-month-long coronavirus lockdown, but with conditions". Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020. The government has announced an end of the nationwide lockdown that it had imposed starting March 24 to contain the spread of Covid-19. Minister for Finance and Communication Yubaraj Khatiwada, who is also the government spokesperson, told a press briefing that Monday's Cabinet meeting had decided to lift the lockdown effective from Tuesday midnight with a few restrictions such as a ban on large gatherings still in place.

[6] "206 Nepalis die of coronavirus across the globe as of Saturday evening". My Republica. 26 July 2020. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2021.

[7] Prasain, Sangam (31 March 2020). "Visit Nepal 2020 called off, finally". The Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020. Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, secretary at the Tourism Ministry, told the Post that last Sunday's (March 22) cabinet meeting decided to call off the campaign that aimed to draw 2 million tourists in the country this year.

[8] "Govt to carry out impact assessment of coronavirus on economy". The Himalayan Times. 6 March 2020. Archived from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.

[9] "COVID-19 could push nearly one-third of Nepal's population below poverty line: World Bank report". Xinhua News Agency. 23 July 2020. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.

[10] "COVID-19 vaccination drive to commence from Wednesday in Nepal". The Himalayan Times. 24 January 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.

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