Around 160 individuals who have been kept at quarantine facilities in Rajpur Municipality Ward No. 1 in Rautahat district came out of the facilities on Saturday in protest of delay in their PCR test results.

Their swab samples were collected for PCR testing more than a week ago but the results are yet to come. "Around 160 individuals quarantined at Bahuarwa Madarsha and Pipra Bhagwanpur quarantine facilities on Saturday blocked the road and pelted stones at the security personnel posted at the facilities," said Superintendent of Police Ravi Raj Khadka, the head of District Police Office Rautahat. “Police fired two live rounds in the air and around a dozen rounds of tear gas shells to bring the situation under control."

Teams from the Armed Police Force and Nepal Army had also reached the site to control the situation.

It has been three weeks since those who returned from India have been kept at various quarantine facilities across the district. “Out of 7,500 people who have been kept in more than 100 quarantine facilities across the district, swab samples of around 6,000 individuals were collected a week ago,” said Chief District Officer of Rautahat Basudev Ghimire. "The problem has arisen due to the delay in results."

“I returned from India after I lost my job, I have been here for three weeks and my swab sample was collected nine days ago,” said a 22-year-old man at the quarantine facility in Rajpur. “I haven’t received my report and my family is worried about my health.”

On Monday, people quarantined in Dewahi Gonahi Municipality in Rautahat had threatened to call a strike in protest of delay in test results. They have been waiting for their test results for the past one and a half weeks. “Last Monday, around 250 people quarantined at Jai Kisan Secondary School in Dewahi Gonahi started protesting against the delay in test results,” said Khadka.

According to the Health Ministry, 714 Covid-19 cases have been reported in Rautahat as of Saturday. Out of which, 109 people have been discharged after full recovery.

Province 2 has reported 1,987 cases of coronavirus infection, the highest in a province, until Saturday. The delay in the PCR test results has compelled many to remain in quarantine for longer periods across the country.