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Nepal reported 11 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 4, 119 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which eight returned positive. Likewise, 1, 772 people underwent antigen tests, of which three were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 17 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 252  active cases in the country.

The government has decided to grant two days of public holiday a week—Saturday and Sunday—from May 15.

A Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday made the decision to this effect.

Likewise, the government has also decided to extend the office hours from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communications Gyanendra Bahadur Karki said that the government has decided to implement the decision effective from May 15 as a trial.

The government has also decided to impose a complete ban on 10 different types of items and give two days of public holiday to reduce the import of petroleum products and to increase foreign exchange reserves.

Three persons died when a bike they were riding on hit a parked truck at Sindhuli Tole in Chireshwornath Municipality-5 of Dhanusha on Tuesday.

Police said that the bike (Na 2 Kha 8624) hit the truck (Lu 83 Pa 8652) at around 2:30 am today.

One of the deceased has been identified as Sumit Agrawal (20) of Janakpurdham-4.

Police said that the identities of two others are yet to be established.

DSP Jitendra Basnet, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Dhanusha, said that the bodies have been kept at the Janakpurdham-based Provincial Hospital for postmortem.

Police said that they have impounded the truck and arrested its driver for investigation.

Bishwonath Regmi, 74, of Baglung Municipality had to wait for hours in queue while visiting Dhaulagiri Zonal Hospital.

Though it is said that senior citizens do not have to stay in line to wait for their turn at the hospital to avail service, hospital staffers insulted Regmi and made him stand in queue.

Saying that although there is a provision of 50 percent concession to senior citizens while travelling in public vehicles, no one has implemented it, senior citizen Regmi complained that although the state has made legal arrangements, the senior citizens are deprived of such facilities due to lack of sensitivity of bodies concerned towards senior citizens' rights. At an interaction organised by the National Human Rights Commission in Baglung, senior citizens participating in the programme, shared they were neglected by all.

They complained about the discrimination they were facing while receiving treatment through insurance scheme at public places.

Secretary of Senior Citizens Association Harilal Subedi said there was no programme to honour senior citizens, adding that they had failed to organise some of the programmes after the local levels did not provide information about the budget allocated for senior citizens.

Employees did not respond when asked about the budget and programme, he said, adding "We have become burden on society."

Bishwanath Regmi, a local of Ward 3 complained that they had been deprived of health insurance and other facilities meant for senior citizens. "I am, till date, deprived of health insurance and concession in public transport given to senior citizens," he complained, adding that though the schemes targeing older people were good, its implementation was still awaited. "Our rights are just confined to paper."

According to civil society leader Kaji Gaunle Shrestha people in the rural areas are even not aware of the rights given to them by the law.

Advocacy for implementation of legal rights of senior citizens sometimes triggered a tussle among the implementing bodies and target groups.

They expressed their grievances during discussions on the rights of senior citizens. Commission of Senior Citizens' Chief Kalpana Nepal, human rights activist Sharmila Thapa, CDO Ramesh Dhakal and SP Dayanidhi Gyawali, among others, apprised about facilities meant for senior citizens.