Returnees are under our watch: Rasuwa CDO

RASUWA, March 31: A young girl returned to her home in Kalika Rural Municipality of Rasuwa district from Dubai on March 16. As usual, she started meeting her friends and visiting market areas. So far, she looks fine. But, on Saturday, her brother had a fever. This alarmed everyone at her home. Her brother also recovered but the girl is now placed in self-quarantine at her home. The family has managed to keep her in isolation.

Similarly, a woman who arrived in Nepal from the USA recently also met everyone her relatives and friends. But following the media reports about novel coronavirus and its spread, she is now in self-quarantine. She has not developed any kind of symptoms of the disease so far.

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Before the country imposed a lockdown, the situation was different. Those who came from abroad simply followed normal routines. They lived with their family and met friends and relatives. Similarly, they exposed themselves to all public places. But later, the local administration started collecting details of the people who came from different countries. According to the Chief District Officer (CDO) Arjun Bhandari, all the people who recently returned from abroad have been self-quarantined. As per the record of the District Administration Office, there are 16 people in Rasuwa who are self-quarantined as they landed in Nepal recently from different countries.

"We have details of 16 such people who have returned from abroad recently. And they are under our watch," CDO Bhandari said. "They are living in isolation in their own houses. If they develop any kind of complications, we are there to help. Or else, they continue to live on their own," he added.

Meanwhile, he also made it clear that those who returned home from India are however not living in self-quarantine. And the number of such people is quite large. He stated that preparations are underway to quarantine those people as well.

"A large number of people have returned home from India. We are making preparations to keep them in quarantine. Such facilities are being built," said Bhandari.

He informed that a 211-bed quarantine facility is being built in the district. And there will be isolation wards with 55 beds.