Kathmandu, March 26
The government has decided to mobilise aircraft to fetch swab samples from suspected Covid-19 patients to Kathmandu from four major cities of the country.
Currently, the National Public Health Laboratory in Kathmandu is the only facility where people can be tested for coronavirus.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Bhattarai, says the government will send aircraft to Biratnagar, Pokhara, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj regularly to collect the samples.
Meanwhile, the minister also claims that the government has kept the aircraft of the national flag carrier, Nepal Airlines, ready to import essential medicines and medical equipment including personal protective equipment from India and China even during the lockdown.
In an interview with Onlinekhabar, the minister also said the lockdown, initially announced for one week, might not be sufficient; hence the government was ready to extend it up to three weeks.
