‘We've failed to check the virus spread. We can only focus on increasing hospital beds.’

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor on the reasons for its sluggish response and what measures the metropolis has been taking to fight the pandemic.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has now become a Covid-19 hotspot. According to the Public Health Department of the City, over 60 percent of the infected people in Kathmandu district are from within the Kathmandu Metropolitan City area. The district has generally had the most number of daily recorded cases during the ongoing second wave. On Tuesday alone, Kathmandu district accounted for 2,779 cases of the total 7,587 infections reported across the country. However, compared to other local governments in Kathmandu Valley, the City it has been lagging behind in preparations to check the spread of the virus. The Post’s Anup Ojha talked to Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya about the reasons for its sluggish response and what measures it has been taking to fight the pandemic.