Nepal in ‘lockdown’ after ban on int’l flights, border points and long-route vehicles

KATHMANDU: Nepal has entered the stage of lockdown after the government sealed 170 border points with China and India in an effort to avert spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic starting Monday.

A cabinet meeting held on Sunday evening — first time after Prime Minister K P Oli’s kidney transplant — took a decision to this effect. The vehicular movement has come to a grinding halt sine Monday.

The meeting has also instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs to write to the districts — sharing borders with India and China — to shut down the entry points from 10 am Monday morning.

Security personnel have been stationed along 164 border checkpoints with India and six with China to stop the movement of people except for essential ones.

With the border closure, it is likely that the import of goods will go down compared to before despite the government’s assurances that the import of essential commodities will continue.

Meanwhile, southern border India has already announced inter-country transport services.

The government’s decision to ban public vehicles plying long-routes has also come effective from today. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had announced to do so during his address to the nation on last Friday.

A meeting of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport held on Sunday evening decided to ban all inter-district transport services to implement the announcement of the Prime Minister.

The concerned ministry has warned that it would take a strong action if the decision is not implemented.

However, this decision does not apply to the vehicles plying short-routes in the Kathmandu Valley.

Similarly, international flights have been halted in line with the Prime Minister’s announcement for 10 days starting March 22. However, domestic flights will continue their services.

Except for essential ones, all the government, public, community and private schools and colleges have been shut down.

With the government’s decisions taken to contain the coronavirus, Nepal has been in a situation of lockdown even though the term ‘lockdown’ has not been used officially.