By Kshitiz Siwakoti, Kathmandu, Aug. 1: Experts have warned that the second wave of the Coronavirus is not yet over and this continuation may lead to the direct rise of the third wave of the Coronavirus.

Dr Basudev Pandey, a Virologist and the former Director of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), has said that according to the internationally accepted norms the rates of positivity needs to come below five per cent and this is when the chain of infections is considered to be broken.

“Currently the reported positivity rate is above 20 per cent. We have only been able to get this result because many people who wish to travel to other countries or are called for working in offices or for students who need to appear for examinations are being asked to furnish negative PCR reports. If we are to test more people I believe our positivity rates will definitely cross 30 per cent.” Pandey said to TRN Online.

The Assistant Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari has said that the positivity rates stand at 19.23 per cent. He further mentioned that this rate is deduced by calculating the aggregate of all daily cases of Coronavirus registered until now. As of July 31, the positivity rate was hovering around 24 per cent.

“This is to say that one out of every four people tested for Covid is positive for the virus,” he added. 

The daily cases in Nepal have steadily begun to increase. According to the data from the MoHP, from 9th July until 31 July, the number of daily cases until 19 July was below 2,000 with the lowest daily cases being reported on 19th July which stood at 1,223 cases. 

From 20 to 26 July for some days, the number of cases had crossed the 2,000's mark but was below 2,500 cases per day. However, in the last two of four days, the number of daily reported cases has crossed the 2,500's mark.

On 27th July 2,726 daily cases were reported. On 28^th July the figure stood at 2634 cases. Similarly, on 29^th July the number of reported cases was 2,335 and the number of reported cases was 2,280 on July 31.

When Dr Pandey was asked if the Prohibitory Order was relaxed too soon, he said that the government had to relax it because a lot of people in Nepal cannot survive the lockdown and hence need to work but has also urged the people to maintain social distancing protocols.

“If we do not maintain social distancing protocols and the mask mandate we may risk entering another devastating lockdown,” he said.