COVID-19: Eight decisions to be enforced during lockdown starting today

KATHMANDU: The Nepal government has enforced a nation-wide lockdown to combat the COVID-19 after a 19-year-old girl tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday for the first time in Nepal.

A meeting of COVID-19 Prevention and Control Coordination Committee led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense held on Monday decided to implement eight measures during the lockdown. The decisions remain effective from 6 am on Tuesday till 6 am on March 31.

1. No one is allowed to go out except for medical emergencies and essential daily commodities.
2. All kinds of public and private vehicles are restricted except for the permitted ones, and those used by health workers and security agencies. 
3. All domestic flights are halted except for the ones used by the security agencies and other designated flights. 
4. Related heads of offices should grant a leave except for the most essential services like health, security, food, water, milk, electricity, telecommunication, information and communication, customs, quarantine, garbage management. 
5. Except for drugs and health equipment manufacturing, food, water, milk, energy companies, all other private industries grant a leave to workers and staff. 
6. Businesses should manage ways to supply drugs and drugs-related material. Those hoarding goods, creating artificial shortage, black marketers, and obstructing supplies will be punished as per the law, and those goods will be confiscated and used in medical treatments. 
7. This order is implemented in line with the Section 2 (2) of  the Infectious Disease Act, 2020. To implement this order, all chief district officers will be mobilized in accordance with the the Local Administration Act, 2028. 
8. Those who disobey the decisions will be punished as per the Infectious Disease Act, 2020.