Dhankuta/Bhairahawa, May 18

Following detection of COVID-19 in a staff nurse, District Administration Office Dhankuta has sealed the hospital in the district.

A meeting of District Security Committee Dhankuta last night decided to seal the hospital.

DAO Information Officer Jayaram Shrestha said the hospital and its surroundings were sealed indefinitely after COVID-19 was confirmed in the hospital staff nurse.

Throat swabs of four health workers and one security person were sent to BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan for test last Saturday. Out of them, the female staff nurse tested positive for COVID-19.

The hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Pujan Biswokarma said that a high alert was put in place at the hospital.

Detection of COVID-19 in a nurse of the district hospital has made people fearful.

Meanwhile, Rupandehi DAO has sealed Crimson Hospital located at Manigram of Tilottama Municipality in Rupandehi.

The hospital was sealed this evening after a 41-year-old male undergoing treatment at the isolation ward of the hospital tested positive for COVID-19.

The male is from Gulmi’s Madane Rural Municipality. The male was admitted to the hospital a few days ago. His throat swab sample was collected and sent for test for COVID-19 four days ago. His report came out positive today, said Province 5 Health Directorate Director Dr Binod Kumar Giri. “We shall launch the work of contact tracing very seriously as COVID-19 has spread even to the hilly district,” said Dr Giri

A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 19, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.