Hotspots within Kathmandu’s Covid-19 hotbed

Kathmandu is a hotbed for Covid-19 with 60% of all active cases in the country. But there are hotspots within this hotbed.

A map released by the government on Friday shows where the flare-ups are most pronounced, and it is not surprising that they are in the most densely packed parts of Kathmandu Valley.

With the Dasain festival two weeks away, Kathmandu residents appear to be  forgoing safety measures as they crowd at markets to shop, but the mpas provide a sobering reminder of how extensive the spread is.

According to the Covid-19 Crisis Management Center (CCMC), Kathmandu’s Maharajgunj, Balaju, Lanchaur, Thamel, Bagbazar, New Baneswor, Kalimati, Jadibuti, Hadigaun, Boudha, Teku and Thapagaun are the major hotspots of the virus.

Maps released by the CCMC also show a higher number of infections among residents of Kalanki, Koteswor, Pulchok, Sinamangal, Chabahil, Narayan Tole, Naya Bazar and Bansatpur Dabar Square. The maps were prepared from data a week ago, and experts say the red areas would be even more extensive if the latest data was used.

On Friday Nepal crossed the 100,000 Covid-19 confirmed cases with 2,051 new positives, and the 10 additional deaths in the last 24 hours have brought the total fatalities to 600.

Of the total cases on Friday, Kathmandu Valley accounted for 1,409 (1,116 in Kathmandu, 163 in Lalitpur and 130 in Bhaktapur districts) cases. The numbers were alarmingly higher on Thursday, when the three districts reported a combined total of 2,540 cases.

Over 60% of the 27,053 active cases across the country are now in Kathmandu Valley, where one third of total deaths have occurred despite all the resources and facilities at its disposal.

Covid-19 infection is spreading at an explosive rate in the capital, making it also the capital of Covid-19 in Nepal.

As per the data compiled by ward offices to Kathmandu metropolis, 14 people tested PCR positive in Ward 3 of Maharajganj on Thursday and 15 each in ward 11 of Tripureswor and Ward 13 of Kalimati. Another 14 cases each were reported from Kalanki, Balkhu and Ward 31 of Shantinagar and 11 from Ward 32 of Koteswor and Jadibuti areas.

Experts blame much of the recent surge of Covid-19 in the Valley to the public’s reckless behaviour. Only this week, the Dasain Bazar in Asan and different parts of the capital saw huge crowds shopping in narrow alleyways, many of them without masks, and even those with masks wore them around their chins.

Says chief Consultant of Shukraraj Tropical and Communicable Diseases Hospital at Teku Anup Bastola: “We are no longer able to admit even those critically ill and the situation is only likely to get worse with Dasain and the upcoming winter season. We have challenging days ahead.”