KATHMANDU: More than 350,000 people have left the Kathmandu Valley in the last three days owing to the fear of COVID-19.
According to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, the number of people leaving Kathmandu Valley for their hometown via Nagdhunga, Jagati, Pharping and Nagarjun checkpoints has increased significantly in the last two days.
The Division said around 59,816 people left the capital city on Tuesday. Likewise, while 85,447 people left the Valley on Wednesday, the number increased to 180,000 on Thursday.
On Friday, the number has increased. According to the Division, around 68 thousand people have left Kathmandu between 6 am to 2 pm.
The data shows that over 325,164 people have left the Valley till 2 pm on Friday.
A large number of people have thronged the Old Bus Park, New Bus Park, Koteshwor and Kalanki areas early on Friday to leave Kathmandu Valley.
Meanwhile, buses and micro-buses plying in Kathmandu have begun to ferry passengers to various parts of the country as the government has been liberal on route permits.
Meanwhile, Jeevan Kumar Shrestha, Spokesperson at the Division, said that the number of people leaving Kathmandu Valley has increased as the examinations from class 1 to 9 has been completed and that the educational institutions have been shut down due to COVID-19 fears.
General Secretary of the Federation of Nepali Transport Entrepreneurs, Saroj Sitaula, has urged passengers traveling in public vehicles to use facemask mandatorily.
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