56 home returnees antigen-tested, positive for Covid-19

Kanchanpur, April 4 :As many as 56 Nepali people, who have returned home from various cities of neighbouring India, have been antigen-tested and found positive for Covid-19 on Friday and Saturday alone. Thirty two cases of infection were from antigen tests of 767 Nepali people, who returned home from India via Trinagar transit on Saturday alone, said Superintendent, Armed Police Force Birendra Bahadur Air.

All the infected ones, who are between 14 to 60 year age group, have been kept in isolation set up by Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, he said. The infected include 15 from Kailali district, two from Surkhet, seven from Achham, one from Kanchanpur, three from Doti, one from Jumla, one from Bajhang and two from Dadeldhura. In view of the increasing infection case in neighbouring India, health desks were set up at Nepal-India border to conduct antigen tests of the people crossing the border.

Nepal shares open border with India allowing easy passage of people. However, lack of health workers at the health desks has created difficulties, it has been reported. Lately, three Nepali people who returned home from India via Trinagar and Gaddachauki transits were detected with Covid-19 variants. The infected are reported to be in home isolation.

Lately, the influx of Nepali migrant workers in neighbouring India has increased in a bid to collect winter harvests and celebrate Chaite festival. As a result, there is a large mobility of people at the border, thereby increasing risks to catch infection.