KATHMANDU, July 31: Amid the rising number of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases detected in the past few days, the government has enforced a new rule to restrict passenger vehicles to enter Kathmandu Valley during night time.
Officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) said no passenger vehicles will be allowed to enter Kathmandu Valley from 7 in the evening to 7 in the morning each day starting Thursday.
The decision of the government comes after a large number of people entering Kathmandu Valley in recent days were tested positive for the COVID-19. Kathmandu Valley recorded 45 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, while the number stood 15 on Wednesday.
Deputy Spokesperson at Home Ministry Uma Kanta Adhikari said the restriction will be in place until further notice. This rule, however, will not affect the movement of essential vehicles and cargo vehicles.
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The Home Ministry also directed concerned district administrations within Kathmandu Valley to ensure effective monitoring and checkings to ensure that people do not enter Kathmandu Valley during the specified time. Officials said they plan to screen passengers by putting in place necessary testing infrastructures and human resources in all entry points to Kathmandu Valley.
Similarly, District Administration offices outside Kathmandu Valley are also directed not to issue any permits to allow inter-district vehicular movement. The Home Ministry has decided to implement further stringent rules even during day time after concluding that failure on the part of people to follow the guidelines issued by the government had exposed Kathmandu Valley into a greater risk of COVID-19 spread.
Officials have concluded that failure to control the movement of people from the porous Indo-Nepal border had threatened to transform Nepal as a hotspot of COVID-19 cases. Preparations are underway to further bolster border security to check cross-border movement of people in order to contain possible spread of the COVID-19 cases.
