The ruling Nepal Communist Party’s Secretariat meeting scheduled for Saturday has been postponed until Thursday (September 3).

“The decision to postpone the meeting was taken after a meeting between the two party chairs on Friday,” said Bishnu Sapkota, press coordinator of party chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Party sources said the decision to defer the meeting was taken in light of the rising number of Covid-19 cases.

According to the sources, the decision to defer the meeting was taken after two Secretariat members–Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel and Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa-had to stay in isolation after some of the government staff working as office assistants at the Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre tested positive for Covid-19.

Dipendra Shrestha, personal secretary of Pokhrel, confirmed that Pokhrel is in home isolation.

Saturday’s Secretariat meeting was supposed to discuss a report submitted by the six-member task force.

The task force, formed by chairs Oli and Dahal to resolve the internal conflict in the party, had submitted its report on August 22.

In its report, the task force has said Oli will lead the government for the full term and Dahal will run the party with an “expanded role”. It has also made recommendations on the party’s general convention.