Kathmandu, May 15

All local levels of valley, including Kathmandu and Lalitpur metropolitan cities, have decided to conduct polymerase chain reaction test on persons and groups more susceptible to COVID-19 infection.

Valley Municipality Forum, a joint body of the two metropolitan cities and 16 municipalities, held a discussion with the Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration Hridayesh Tripathi yesterday and informed him about its action plan against the spread of the deadly virus in the two cities and 16 municipalities of Kathmandu valley.

Basanta Adhikari, a joint secretary at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, said the meeting of Minister Tripathi and VMF office-bearers dwelt on the ways forward in the ongoing fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the wake of increasing cases of the disease.

VMF is represented by mayors of the concerned metropolitan cities and municipalities. Its office-bearers told Minister Tripathi that they had already started conducting PCR tests on persons from vulnerable groups for COVID-19, implementing the relief distribution programme as per the decision of the Council of Ministers and restricting movement of people at all the entry points of valley.

According to Adhikari, Minister Tripathi urged the VMF office-bearers to implement the decision of conducting PCR test on vulnerable groups in coordination with the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre. Government authorities, including KMC, had conducted rapid diagnostic test on 700 persons and PCR test on 334 persons in Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market yesterday. Nasal, throat swabs and blood samples were collected from persons working at the market, one of the core business areas of the valley, where thousands of people have been gathering each day to purchase fruits and vegetables.

KMC said fruits and vegetables suppliers, volunteers, sanitation workers, securities personnel, health workers and journalists will undergo test.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 16, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.