KATHMANDU: The government has decided to take necessary precaution to prevent the entry of new variant of COVID-19 ‘Omicron’.

The cabinet meeting held on November 29 issued an order regarding the travel management of passengers coming to Nepal from countries where Omicron has been detected.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the new variant, Omicron, could spread rapidly and cause serious infection. The new variant has been found in South Africa, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Arrangements have been made for passengers coming from countries with reported case of the variant to undergo tests at Tribhuvan International Airport and hotel quarantine, according to spokesperson of the government and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki.

The meeting also decided to form a negotiating team on behalf of the Government of Nepal to receive a concessional loan of 10 billion Japanese Yen (approximately Rs 10.39 billion) from the Japanese government for economic growth and productivity.

The cabinet approved the protocol prepared for the agreement between Nepal and China on exporting helix (processed grass) to China.

Likewise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been given approval to send a diplomatic note to the United Nations to implement the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement between the Government of Nepal and the UNDP.

Similarly, a delegation led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has been formed to participate in the Virtual Summit on Democracy to be organized by the President of the United States on December 9 and 10.