KATHMANDU: In a cabinet meeting held on Sunday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli instructed ministers to be cautious of the coronavirus after a staff member tested positive. He directed ministers to be more careful, as the coronavirus has started spreading at the community level.
A source informed Kathmandupati that the PM directed ministers to be cautious while working, as COVID-19 cases have been continuously rising in the Kathmandu Valley.
PM Oli, who suffers from kidney disease, instructed ministers to be cautious about their own health. At a meeting of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Center (CCMC) that was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ishwor Pokharel, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Baadal, Health Minster Bhanubhakta Dhakal and Chief of Army Prunachandra Thapa a few days ago, it was announced that an office assistant working at the CCMC had tested positive for the virus. The reports of all the ministers have, however, came back negative.
Government Spokesperson and Finance and Communications Minister Dr. Yuvaraj Khatiwada, who is a patient of heart disease and who suffers from high blood pressure, remained absent in Sunday’s cabinet meeting, although he worked at the Ministry the entire day.
Minister Khatiwada’s term is coming to an end on the September 5. There have been rumors that PM Oli is positive about reelecting Minister Khatiwada to the National Assembly. It has been six months since his term ended as a member in the National Assembly.
