COVID-19 Threat: Nepal Declares ‘Nationwide Lockdown’

In view of the need to contain the spread of the deadly Coronavirus, the Nepali Government has imposed a partial lockdown across the country.

The government has completely halted long-distance transportation services, suspended international flights, banned non-essential services, closed educational institutions and sealed 170 border points starting from March 23, 2020.

The government has also decided to mobilize security personnel at the 170 checkpoints to restrict the movement of people and set up health desks at major border points to ensure no traveler was affected.

Moreover, the government has announced that it will promote work from home culture in the private sector while instructing the employees of the essential services sector to attend their offices as usual.

In the same line, the Nepali Government has decided to take stern actions against those involved in black-marketing, hoarding and creating artificial shortages in the market.

Moreover, the government has planned to build a 5000-bed quarantine site to deal with the probable spread of deadly coronavirus.

The Federation of Community Forest Users Nepal (FECOFUN) announced that its 1,398 buildings can be used as quarantine centres.

FECOFUN Buildings-

• 124 in State-1
• 55 in State-2
• 268 in Bagmati state
• 216 in Gandaki state
• 311 in state-5
• 84 in Karnali state
• 340 in Sudurpaschim state

So far, Nepal has reported two coronavirus infection cases, the least in the South Asian region.

Meanwhile, as the country is at high risk of the coronavirus threat, thousands of people in Kathmandu have started leaving to their homes.

Over 500,000 people have left Kathmandu valley in the last four days with 206,000 outflux on March 22, 2020 alone.

Stay tuned to NepaliSansar for the latest Coronavirus news updates!