Our Ama Ghar alumna Meena Ghiri (above) is a staff nurse in the ICU Ward at Nidan Hospital in Kathmandu, working with COVID patients. Please send her your love and positive thoughts – she is our hero!
We are back in lockdown, as Nepal is experiencing an extreme “second wave” of COVID. Hear the whole story here but the short version is that there is a 50% positive rate in the country, there have been over 8,000 new cases per day since mid-April and only 1% of the country has been vaccinated. There is an extreme shortage of PPE, oxygen and other necessary supplies and hospitals are overwhelmed.Â
At Ama Ghar, we are back in lockdown and none of the children are sick, although 16 children and five staff tested positive a few weeks ago. Everyone was asymptomatic, and we kept positives and negatives separated; after the 15 day quarantine we were re-tested and now only two children remain positive but still asymptomatic. We are taking all precautions, and we do have some supplies of our own. Staff members and Bonnie Auntie have all received one shot and are scheduled to go back next week for our second. Unless the US sends vaccine, Nepal will not see any more vaccinations until the end of 2021.
So far -Â for the children here at home – Â we are keeping to our routine, including taking exams this week, doing chores, studying and practicing our new dance routine (the Jerusalema) for the planned summer 20th Anniversary Celebration.