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The government has urged people not to panic about the new variant of the coronavirus identified in India. Health authorities in Nepal say they are closely monitoring the development in India.

India has been seeing a rise in the number of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1. As per media reports, 614 new Covid cases have been detected in India as of Wednesday. Meanwhile, three people infected with the new variant have died in Kerala, per the reports.

Nepal however hasn’t seen a rise in the number of coronavirus cases as per the Ministry of Health and Population.

The World Health Organisation has designated the new variant as a “variant of interest” separate from its ancestor BA.2.86 that is commonly referred to as Pirola.

WHO maintained that there was no evidence to suggest that the new variant poses additional public health risks.

JN.1 is a closely-related descendant of BA.2.86, a highly mutated strain that first worried scientists over the summer. BA.2.86 was deemed a “variant of interest” by the WHO back in August.

The WHO defines variants of interest as strains that are worrying enough to trigger stepped up investigations of the variant by countries, like laboratory studies and field investigations of its outbreaks.

“Many people in Nepal have had the infection and people have received at least two doses of the vaccine. Therefore, the probability of severe disease is low,” said Dr Prakash Budhathoki, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population.

Problems related to the respiratory system are currently increasing in India and China.

“Intensive care units, oxygen plants, and other physical infrastructure constructed during the Covid-19 pandemic can be utilized if needed,” Dr Budhathoki added.  

Health desks established at checkpoints and international airports have been placed on standby, and a request has been made to place patients with respiratory problems under special supervision.

“As the infection is seen in Kerala, we are relatively at lower risks. If the infection was seen in the southern areas of India that borders Nepal it would have been quite risky as there are high chances for the variant to enter the country in a shorter time span,” Dr Budhathoki said.  

The spokesperson also informed that patients with long-standing respiratory problems have been recommended for gene sequencing.

The ministry has requested health centers to keep a check on the people visiting the hospitals with the symptoms of coronavirus and has asked them to submit a report to the ministry.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Meteorological Forecasting Division has urged people to take necessary precaution against cold as the temperature is on a decreasing trend across the country.

Cold has increased with the drop in mercury throughout the country, including in the Kathmandu Valley. The minimum temperature in Kathmandu today is 4.5 degrees Celsius and the maximum 19 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Kathmandu is between 4 to 5 degrees Celsius and the maximum in the range of around 17 to 19 degrees Celsius since the last three to four days.

Extreme cold has intensified in Kathmandu due to the fall in temperature. Although the days are sunny, much cold is experienced in the morning and evening.

The lowest temperature of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius is recorded in Jumla and minus 3.5 degrees Celsius in Jomsom, the Division said.

The Westerly wind has partial impact in Nepal at present and the weather is partly cloudy to generally fair due to this weather system. It will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and partly cloudy to generally fair in the rest of the provinces tonight.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region of the above provinces and partly cloudy to mostly fair in the rest of the provinces tomorrow (December 23). There are chances of light rain in one or two places of the hilly regions of Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces.

The Division stated that there is a possibility of light snowfall in one or two places of the high-hilly and mountainous region of Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces.

A woman tried to immolate herself by sprinkling petrol on her body demanding swift rescue of her husband who has been stranded in Dubai.

Afruj Khatun of Phulbari, Bhadrapur-8, Jhapa attempted to set herself on fire by reaching the office of Bhadrapur Municipality on Thursday demanding the safe rescue of her husband Akbar Ansari.

Khatun had reached the office of municipal Chief Ganesh Pokharel at around 10 am yesterday to request him to rescue her husband Ansari who has been living as a prisoner in Dubari for the past two months.

While talking with Pokharel, she abruptly sprinkled petrol on her body which she had concealed in her shawl. The staffers present there saved her while she was about to strike the matchstick.

Municipal Chief Pokharel said that he had talked with Ansari from the mobile phone of Khatun a few days ago. During the conversation, he told Ansari that they are taking efforts to rescue him safely.

It has been learnt that she tried to immolate herself after she came to know that five persons who were stranded with Ansari were rescued and her husband was left behind.

Ansari, who has been operating a furniture shop in Bhadrapur, had gone to Dubai through Recruitment Pvt. Ltd on October 15.

Tension ran high after a person died in police custody in Dhunusha.

The deceased has been identified as Dipa Mandal.

Mandal’s relatives alleged that she died due to police torture. They said that Mandal was taken to hospital after her condition became serious and died during the course of treatment.

Following the incident, a clash ensued between the anguished locals and police personnel when the former tried to picket the police station. A person was injured in the police firing.

A local said that police lobbed dozens of teargas shells to take the situation under control.