Rapid test begins on Sun City residents as more cases feared
KATHMANDU, April 15: The local government has begun rapid diagnostic test on the residents of the Sun City apartment to confirm the possible spread of the coronavirus after two members of the same family there were tested positive on Tuesday.
Around 1,500 members of 500 different families have been living in the apartments which remain sealed since the report on the COVID-19 infection.
The rapid test on all the residents living there began today morning.
The government yesterday extended the lockdown until April 27 after the Health Ministry reported seven new cases in the past three days taking the total cases in Nepal to 16.
The new cases, a 58-year-old male and an 81-year-old female, had arrived in Kathmandu from the United Kingdom on March 18 and had stayed in self-quarantine on the 14th floor of the Block A for two weeks.
Another person who also came with them from London has, however, tested negative although rapid test showed he was positive.
After they showed no symptoms of fever and dry cough, they had begun to come out of their home.
But after they were tested positive, fear of the spread of the virus has gripped among the apartment residents.
Around 100 families live in the same block and use the same elevator.
“Everyone who lives here is afraid they could have contracted the virus,” said a woman who shares an apartment in the block.
The possibility of the spread of the disease has grown stronger since the Apartment had held the election of Apartment Welfare Society on March 21, two days after the government restricted gatherings of more than 25 people.
Reports have claimed that the London returnees had arrived in Nepal for the election which was participated by over 200 people.
Photo: Dipendra Dhungana/Facebook