当地时间7日晚间，尼泊尔文化、旅游与民航部发表新闻公告，要求媒体采用官方消息源，不要发表关于珠峰等地区被疫情波及的不实报道。公告称，新冠肺炎疫情席卷全球之际，关于疫情已经在尼泊尔高山地区的登山者当中扩散的消息被有些媒体大肆报道，已经引起了尼泊尔文化、旅游与民航部的关注。尼泊尔旅游局在每支登山团队都设立了联络官，他们向各支队伍的领队了解情况，并且对现场进行了考察，确认截止发稿，各支登山团队中并没有出现媒体报道的健康危机。Nepal's tourism authorities have refuted reports of the COVID-19 outbreak at Mount Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, and other mountain base camps.Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation said that no cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at Mount Qomolangma in a statement issued on Friday.The ministry also urged the media not to disseminate unsubstantiated information that might cause panic and fear among climbers and their families.
目前，包括登山者、向导、政府官员等约2000人集中在大本营。当地时间5月9日，今年第一批珠峰登山者将从大本营出发，尝试登顶。2021年尼泊尔春季登山季，来自79个国家的86支队伍中745位登山者获得了不同山峰的攀登许可。必须持有新冠病毒核酸检测阴性报告才能申请尼泊尔旅游局的登山许可证。目前所有团队在包括珠峰在内的雪山地区尽力按照卫生防疫要求进行各项登山的准备工作，同时组织拉练。近日有媒体报道，尼泊尔境内珠穆朗玛峰南坡大本营有大量登山者确诊感染新冠。对此，尼泊尔旅游局局长阿查里雅表示：他本人已在大本营驻扎数日，过去几天，没有人向他报告出现感染新冠病毒症状，大本营一切正常。据新华社报道，尼泊尔喜马拉雅救援协会多名人士表示，珠峰大本营有十余人确诊的消息目前“无法确认”。
在珠峰高海拔地区，不少登山者出现肺炎、呼吸道方面的高山疾病，与新冠感染者症状类似，在大本营没有测试仪器进行检测，所以无法确诊是高山疾病还是新冠肺炎。About 2,000 people, including climbers, guides, and government officials, are now at the base camp. The first group of climbers on Mount Qomolangma this year will set off from base camp tomorrow, in an attempt to reach the peak of Qomolangma.Some media outlets reported that a large number of climbers at the base camp on the southern slope of Mount Qomolangma in Nepal have been diagnosed with COVID-19. But the director of Nepal Tourism Bureau denied this and said the base camp was normal as usual.Officials at Nepal's Himalayan Rescue Association said they were "unable to confirm" some cases at the base camp. At high altitudes, they said, many climbers had developed pneumonia similar to the symptoms of COVID-19, so they could not be confirmed as they don't have test appliances at the camp.
虽然尼泊尔官方确认珠峰地区没有发生健康危机，但尼泊尔境内的疫情局势仍不容忽视。世卫组织发布报告显示，有迹象表明，印度疫情正在蔓延到邻国，尼泊尔上周的病例增加137％。尼泊尔每日新增病例是一个月前的57倍，尼泊尔疫情恶化，在加德满都，火葬场不堪重负，工人们忙于火化尸体，根本没有时间休息。5月5日，国际红十字会与红新月会国际联合会发表声明，目前尼泊尔的确诊病例数激增，新冠病毒的阳性检出率达到44%。在尼首都所在的加德满都谷地，不少医院的空地、花园被用作临时病房。大部分新冠重症患者需要吸氧，尼很多医院的制氧机、氧气瓶严重短缺。分析人士认为，与印度间频繁的人员往来是尼泊尔近期疫情恶化的原因之一。According to the World Health Organization, Nepal is now recording 57 times as many cases as a month ago, and the number of Nepal's COVID-19 cases last week surged by 137%.As the pandemic in Nepal worsened, crematoriums in Kathmandu were overwhelmed and workers were busily dealing with dead bodies.Last weekend, 44% of Nepal's COVID-19 tests came back positive, according to government data released by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).In a valley near Nepal's capital Kathmandu, many open spaces and gardens in hospitals are being used as temporary wards. Meanwhile, many hospitals in Nepal have a serious shortage of oxygen generators due to the overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients.
Analysts pointed out that the frequent social contact between India and Nepal is one major contributor to the major public health crisis in Nepal.
在前不久召开的中阿巴尼斯孟六国外长合作应对新冠肺炎疫情视频会议上，王毅国务委员兼外长宣布中方将向尼泊尔提供新一批抗疫物资援助。
目前，这批抗疫物资已基本筹措完毕，将尽快送到尼泊尔朋友手中。5月7日，中国外交部汪文斌在例行记者会上表示，尼泊尔是中国的友好邻邦和战略合作伙伴。新冠肺炎疫情发生后，两国守望相助、携手同行，谱写了中尼友谊的新篇章。
“中方注意到近期尼泊尔疫情形势严峻，对尼泊尔遭受的疫情挑战感同身受，将继续尽己所能向尼方提供支持”。China said on Friday that it will continue to do its best to provide support to Nepal in the country's fight against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing.
Wang said that China will provide Nepal with a new batch of anti-epidemic supplies, adding that the materials have been collected and will be sent to the Nepali people at the soonest.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Nepal have supported each other. "The Chinese side is concerned about the severe situation of the pandemic in Nepal recently, and we are fully aware of the challenges Nepal is facing. We will continue to provide support to Nepal," said the Chinese Foreign Ministry.