By TRN Online, Okhaldhunga, July 13: Considering the risk of COVID-19 spread, Visankhe Tol of Kuwapani village in Likhu Rural Municipality-2 in the district has been sealed off.

There are 25 houses in Visankhe Tol.

Dinanath Chaudhary, chief of the health department in Likhu Rural Municipality, said, “After we couldn’t send 72-year old cancer patient of Likhu Rural Municipality, who had tested positive for the virus on July 10, to other hospitals for treatment, we decided to seal the village.”

Chaudhary said that the health condition of the 72-year old COVID-19 patient was critical.

He had tested positive for the virus after returning from Kathmandu by getting his cancer treatment done. His swab sample was collected in Kathmandu for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. The test reported COVID-19 positive after he had returned to Okhaldhunga, said Chaudhary.

Chief District Officer (CDO) Krishna Poudel said, “In the contact tracing, it was found that other villagers had come in contact with the elderly.”

All those who had come in contact with him have been kept in quarantine and the village has been sealed, said CDO Poudel.

Police officials have been deployed in the village for security.

Ramhari Budhathoki, ward chair of Likhu Rural Municipality-2, said that there were around 100 people in Visankhe Tol.

The PCR test of suspected patients would be conducted in the sealed village on July 15.

Currently, there are five COVID-19 patients in Likhu Rural Municipality. Three patients are receiving treatment in Okhaldhunga Community Hospital while one has already recovered from the infection.