A 23-year-old man returned to his home in Jayaprithvi Municipality Ward No 3, Bajhang, from Kathmandu on Monday. Though he did not show any symptoms of COVID-19, his family kept him in home quarantine and urged the local unit to conduct his Polymerase Chain Reaction test. The Kathmandu returnee tested positive for the virus on Friday.

“As per the existing health guidelines of the government, the local unit only conducts the PCR test of those entering the district from India,” said Ramchandra Joshi, the public health inspector of Jayaprithvi Municipality. “However, the suspect’s family members requested us so we conducted his PCR test. He tested positive.”

With Dashain and Tihar—two major Hindu festivals—round the corner, Bajhang is seeing an influx of people returning from Kathmandu and other districts for the festive season. But the local units in the district are not prepared to deal with the possible outbreak of COVID-19 from the returnees.

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