By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, July 19: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba Sunday instructed MoHP officials for comprehensive management of COVID-19 cases with activities directed towards diagnosis of COVID-19 cases, ensuring availability of oxygen for management, preparedness for the probable third wave, and conduction of the vaccination campaign in efficient and systematic way through addition of vaccination centers and human resources in order to reduce congestion and waiting time.
After inquiring about the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic, preparations made for the probable third wave and the ongoing vaccination campaign by the Secretary of the MoHP, Chief Specialists, Director General of the Department of Health Services and other senior officials at the Ministry, the Prime Minister issued the directives.
During the meeting, the officials from the MoHP presented the Prime Minister the latest status of the COVID 19 pandemic, the current status of the vaccination campaign, challenges and the future planning.
PM Deuba in a discussion with the Chief District Officers and Chiefs of the Health Offices of the Kathmandu Valley on Friday had instructed to add vaccination centers and manpower to manage the vaccination centers for proper streamlining of the ongoing vaccination programme.
Meanwhile, the government of India had gifted 150 ICU beds to the government of Nepal for the management of COVID-19.
1,223 new cases in 24 hours
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) on Sunday confirmed 1,223 new cases, bringing the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 667,109. In addition, 578 cases were detected from antigen tests in the past 24 hours.
Of the total 9,628 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, 6,628 were Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) while 3,000 antigen tests, informed the MoHP. The positivity rate is 19.2 per cent, informed the MoHP.
The active COVID-19 caseload across the nation has slightly increased to 25,485 on Sunday. According the MoHP, of the total active cases, 60.47 per cent are male while the remaining are female.
Of the active cases, 2,651 patients are admitted to various health facilities while the remaining 22,834 are in home isolation.
As per the latest update, 561 COVID-19 patients are admitted to the Intensive Care Units (ICUs)

and 165 are under treatment with ventilator support across the nation. Of the new infections, 334 were detected in the Kathmandu Valley, including 234 in Kathmandu, 64 in Lalitpur, and 36 in Bhaktapur.
The data of the last 24 hours reveal that the infection rate is increasing in Surkhet, Kalikot, Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Parsa, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Kaski, Tanahun, Nawalparasi, Dang, and Rupandehi districts.
Meanwhile, 1,667 COVID-19 patients recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours. Nepal has now recorded 632,074 cases of recovery, and the recovery rate now stands at 94.7 per cent.
The country also reported 23 deaths related to the disease in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 9,550. The death rate now stands at 1.5 per cent.
Meanwhile, as per the update on ongoing vaccination drive, 2,999,214 people were vaccinated with the first dose and 1,129,908 with both doses.