Free COVID-19 mass test sees only 10 percent people’s participation

BHAKTAPUR, June 20: Only about ten percent people of the total target participated in the free RT-PCR and antigen screening mass test campaign organised by Madhyapur Thimi Municipality in Bhaktapur. 

Though the local government had preparation for 10,000 tests through the PCR and antigen procedures and organised the campaign simultaneously at all its wards on Saturday to check about the COVID-19 status in the community, only ten percent or 1,308 people participated in the campaign. It means the campaign witnessed a far fewer participants than the target.

"Though we publicly appealed to the public to be part of the campaign supported by the Nepal Korea Friendship Municipality Hospital and other organisations, 90 percent target groups were left out of it," said Mayor Madan Sundar Shrestha.

Of the total tests, 48 or 3.36 percent reports came positive. The campaign aimed to assess the community-level infection status by identifying the population in safe zone, and risk zone so thata it could formulate future strategies to respond to the crisis, Mayor Shrestha said. The local government has decided to provide free treatment to all those tested positive during the mass campaign.