Nineteen lawmakers have tested positive for coronavirus while 141 others are confirmed to have contracted the virus in the recent PCR tests coordinated by the Federal Parliament Secretariat.
The tests were conducted at the federal parliament building, New Baneswor, for three days (May 5-7) in view of the House of Representatives (HoR) session summoned for May 10. According to Secretariat Spokesperson Dr Rojnath Pandey, 19 lawmakers including one member from the National Assembly have tested positive.
A total of 205 lawmakers underwent the tests. Prior to this, nine members in the parliament were tested positive for the virus and currently they are under medical care. With the latest test results, the number of lawmakers getting infected from coronavirus has reached 28. Others 141 include Secretariat employees, parliament marshals, private secretary, security personnel, members of Parliamentary Journalists Society, and the International Convention Center’s staff.
As informed tests were conducted on 1030 individuals. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to seek a vote of confidence in the HoR session summoned for May 10. President Bidya Devi Bhandari has summoned the session on the given day as the Prime Minister considers it necessary to show that he has the vote of confidence in the Lower House.
The Secretariat has arranged seats for lawmakers for the session bearing in mind the infection risk. The form of the session will be determined based on the agenda to be determined by the Business Advisory Committee, it is said. How to include those lawmakers infected with the virus in the session appears like the challenge of the hour. One of the ways is that separate rooms could be provided to them so that they could take part in the voting with the help of PPEs-worn security people. The session has drawn a widespread concern as it is taking place at the time the infection rate has been hitting a daily new record and the intra-feud in the major political party has reached the climax.
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