TAPLEJUNG, March 17: Chinese workers engaged with the Tamor Hydropower Project in Taplejung have been frequently moving to their home and back to work at the construction site despite the government's announcement of travel restriction to China. The government has sealed all border points expect a few major ones in view of the coronavirus outbreak. The project officials have however claimed that there is no possibility of those workers spreading coronavirus.
"The workers go through rigorous tests while returning home and coming here to work to make sure that they have not been infected with coronavirus. So, there is no possibility of the workers spreading the virus," said Dr Maniraj Pokharel, manager of the hydro project. "They are actually tested both at the border and then at the construction site and every detail is written in the report," he added.
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According to Pokharel, the other relief is that the workers are from some other provinces in China than the ones where coronavirus have caused widespread trouble.
So far, none of the workers have tested positive for the virus.
There are around 130 workers from China who are contributing to the ongoing project. They are mostly from Kunming and Jiangsu provinces of China.
The project officials keep the workers who come freshly from China under close monitoring for 24 days. In the first 14 days, they work wearing blue helmets and remain in isolation. And if they show normal signs, they are still kept under observation for 10 more days and are made work in a separate zone. This monitoring is done by the Chinese contractor company, which has undertaken the project. This is necessary for precaution, he said.
