Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday blamed India for the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the hill country, saying that people coming into the country from across the border without proper checks were the reason behind further spread of the virus.
“Fatality in Nepal is less in comparison to other countries of South Asia. Those coming from India are coming in without proper checking, which has contributed to the further spread of Covid-19,” Oli said on a day when Nepal recorded its highest single-day spike in coronavirus cases.
With 72 new cases being reported on Monday, the Covid-19 tally in the country climbed up to 682. Nepal, which has extended its nationwide lockdown till June 2 to contain the spread of the deadly virus, has the least number of Covid-19 cases worldwide. So far, the country has reported only four deaths.
In a televised address to the nation, Oli said that his government would expand the scope of the Covid-19 testing by at least examining two per cent of the country’s total population, which stands at 30 million.
“Today we are conducting Covid-19 tests at 20 labs across the country even though we had just one lab facility in the beginning,” he said.
During his address, Oli attributed the very low mortality rate among the Nepalese to their strong will power and eating habits.
(With inputs from PTI)
