COVID-19: Govt not to test asymptomatic people

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population is preparing a policy not to conduct PCR tests on those who have no symptoms of coronavirus.

Concluding that it would not make much difference even if asymtomatic persons avoid PCR screenings, the ministry has decided to test only those who have symptoms from now onwards.

Ministry’s Deputy Spokesperson Dr Samir Adhikari said the ministry would now focus on quarantine and isolation management rather than simply increasing testings through contact tracing.

He said, ‘Tracing alone does not increase the tests. Quarantine should be given the same emphasis. When you go from one district to another, you have to be kept in quarantine for 14 days,”.

Currently, an average of 10,000 PCR tests are being conducted on a daily basis.

According to the ministry, more than 8.5 million people have undergone PCR tests so far.

The government has recently decreased the fee for PCR testing and set the price for the test at Rs 2,000.

Similarly, the ministry has also discussed the issue of providing free coronavirus treatment only to the poor while the others should be treated at their own expenses.