KATHMANDU: All offices except those providing emergency services have been closed from Sunday till April 3 to combat a possible outbreak of coronavirus epidemic in the country.

In an address to the nation on Friday, Prime Minister KP Oli had announced to that effect.

What falls under essential services?

As per Nepal Gazette, essential services include postal, telephone service, transporting passenger and goods through water, land and airways, printing and government press, communication service, internal security service, drinking water, services related to tourist shelter, petroleum products, hospital, banking, insurance, electricity and transport, storage, delivery of daily essentials and weather forecasting among others.

All international flights suspended

Nepal has suspended all international flights for 10 days starting from Sunday.

PM Oli, during his address to the nation on Friday, had announced the closure of all international flights from March 22 to March 31 and barring entry of all foreigners over COVID-19 fear.

The suspension will only impact the arrival of passenger flights but not departing passenger flight from Nepal, freighter flight, rescue and air ambulance flight and other emergency flight.

The only international airport had been witnessing some 90 takeoffs and landings in a single day.

Kathmandu streets wear a semi-deserted look

With more than 450,000 million people leaving the capital, and majority of the Kathmanduites preferring to stay indoors amid coronavirus fear, Kathmandu’s streets wore a semi-deserted look on Sunday.

Very few public vehicles have been seen plying the streets in what has been termed as an ‘unprecedented’ two-week partial shutdown on PM Oli’s appeal to the people to remain indoors.

Prime Minister Oli had on Friday urged people to remain indoors except for essential activities beginning Sunday.

The majority of the people have kept themselves indoors as a social distancing exercise to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which Nepal is still aloof from.

Several shops and departmental stores except those dealing in essential goods and services have remained shut.

However, few private vehicles and motorbikes have been seen plying the streets.

Meanwhile, very few fruits and vegetable vendors are seen on the streets.