April 12: The Ministry of Health and Population has instructed various health facilities to remain on standby in view of increasing cases of COVID-19 in the country. The directive came as the daily graph of fresh COVID-19 cases is going up lately.    
Cases of mutated Omicron sub-variant XBB1.16.1 of COVID -19 found in neighbouring India have been recorded lately in Nepal as well.    
According to Director of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Dr Chuman Lal Das, the latest variant of COVID-19 is more infectious and hospitals are directed to be in ready position to respond to the possible situation ahead.    
Bir Hospital, Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, TU Teaching Hospital, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Civil Service Hospital, Armed Police Force Hospital and Nepal Police Hospital are among those health facilities directed to be prepared for handling the untoward situation.    
On Wednesday, a person succumbed to COVID-19, the first death from virus in over three months.    
Bir Hospital’s Director Dr Santosh Poudel said they have been directed to be prepared for the response to COVID-19 in view of its soaring cases lately.    
Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital’s chief Dr Bimal Chalise said they are alert about the possible risk of infections and are prepared accordingly. "There is no need to panic, but we must be alert about the possible risk," he said, adding that the hospital has a patient on a ventilator and two ICU cases related to Covid-19 at the moment.    
On Wednesday, 106 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the country. At present, 24 infected patients are in isolation, 13 in ICU care and five on ventilator support for COVID-19. The division has said it has tightened COVID-19 check along the Nepal-India border since Wednesday.    
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