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The Ministry of Health and Population has urged one and all to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in view of the increasing Covid-19 infection. The Ministry has asked all to take the anti-COVID-19 shots as the infection is increasing daily. Joint spokesperson of the Ministry Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari has called on all to take the first, second and booster dose vaccines considering the increase in the infection cases over the last some days. The number of infection cases that had dropped to nil is now increasing daily. Sixty-four cases were detected on Saturday alone and the total number of infections is 356 at present. In the Kathmandu Valley alone, 15 persons were receiving treatment in isolation, eight in ICU and five in ventilators. Big hospitals in the Valley including in Kathmandu are providing booster dose vaccines at present. Anjana Khadka, Information Officer at the Health Office, Kathmandu, said the booster dose is being given at the Bir Hospital, TU Teaching Hospital, the Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, the Civil Service Hospital, Armed Police Force Hospital and Nepal Police Hospital. Similarly, the local governments of Kathmandu are providing the vaccination service at various places as per the need. A genetic study carried out some days back had detected the presence of a new variant of the Coronavirus, Omicron XBB.1.16, for the first time in Nepal. The Ministry has also urged one and all to stay in isolation and go for COVID test immediately after developing any symptoms of the infection.  

A helicopter belonging to Heli Everest crashed in Dhaulagiri of Myagdi district on Sunday. The chopper, which had lost contact with the air traffic controller since this morning, crashed near Dhaulagiri Base Camp. Tribhuvan International Airport spokesperson Teknath Sitaula said that the incident occurred at 11 am while the helicopter was heading towards Dhaulagiri Base Camp from Italian Base Camp. He said that pilot Priya Adhikari survived the incident. It has been said that she has sustained minor injuries. Another helicopter is heading towards the incident site to carry out a rescue operation. Earlier on Saturday, a helicopter of Air Dynasty met with an accident at the helipad of HAMS Hospital.

Some educational institutions in Tulasipur in Dang district will give discounts of up to 20 percent on the enrollment of children of transport workers. Some educational institutions in Tulasipur have reached an agreement to give a discount to children of transport workers on the initiatives of the All Nepal Transport Workers' Union, said the union central deputy general secretary Ghana Shyam Dangi. As per the agreement, the schools including Divine Temple Academy, Gyan Jyoti Foundation, Sagarmatha Balbatika English School, Aadarsha Academy, P&P Pathshala, Rapti Public English Boarding School, and Trimurti Himchuli English Boarding School will provide up to a 20 percent discount on the enrolment of children of transport workers.  "We all work for life sustenance. But, the situation of transport workers is miserable. So, we took initiatives in this regard," he said. Likewise, some hospitals including Rapti Life Care Hospital and Tulasipur City Hospital will give a discount to children of transport workers, said the union Dang district chairperson, Chhabi Prasad Basnet. A discussion is underway to expand the discount scheme to all educational institutions and health facilities in the district, he added.

Nepal reported 85 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 272 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 63 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 130 people underwent antigen tests, of which 22 tested positive. The Ministry said that no one died of the virus in the last 24 hours and 27 infected people recovered from the disease. As of today, there are 358 active cases in the country.