In a bid to control the Covid-19 infection rates in Kathmandu Valley, the Valley’s municipal forum’s meeting has decided to ramp up tests.

The forum’s meeting on Monday decided to run tests on 28,500 people identified through contact tracing of infected individuals in all 17 local units of the Valley, according to Madan Sundar Shrestha, secretary of the forum.

“We plan to start the tests from Wednesday and complete the process within one week,” said Shrestha, also the mayor of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality

Shrestha said the testing expenses will be borne by the concerned local bodies.

Meanwhile, works to build integrated isolation centres to accommodate 5,000 people have not been started even though the Covid-19 cases are rapidly rising.
Till Tuesday, the Valley has recorded 3,718 Covid-19 cases— 2,955 in Kathmandu, 463 in Lalitpur and 301 in Bhaktapur. Twenty people have died so far.

The representatives of the forum the Post spoke with said preparations were underway to set up integrated isolation centers under the task force of Maheshowr Neupane, secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In Monday’s meeting, the forum also released the data of infected persons in all local units of the Valley. 

According to forum’s data, the Valley had reported 2,746 cases of Covid-19 as of August 22 (Saturday) — 1,606 cases in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, 185 in Lalitpur Metropolitan City, 125 in Budhanilkantha Municipality, 109 in Tokha Municipality, 105 in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, 96 in Kageshwori Municipality, 84 in Mahalaxmi Municipality, 73 in Suryabinayak Municipality and 62 in Chandragiri Municipality.

Similarly, 54 cases were reported in Tarakeswar Municipality, 42 in Gokarneshwor Municipality, 40 in Nagarjun Municipality, 39 in Godawari Municipality, 22 in Changunarayan Municipality, 17 in Shankarapur Municipality and 10 in Dakshinkali Municipality. 

Bhaktapur Municipality had 31 Covid-19 cases. Bhaktapur Municipality has been boycotting the forum since its establishment in 2018.

“We are also coordinating with Bhaktapur Municipality for the Covid-19 test,” said Shrestha.