Nepal adopts strict measures to limit people's movement during lockdown

Nepal Government has decided to restrict any sort of movements inside the nation during lockdown to limit the spread of COVID-19 infection after a locally transmitted case was reported on Saturday.

A Council of Ministers' meeting held at Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli residence in capital Kathmandu decided to adopt strict measures to curb people's movement to prevent further infection in the Himalayan Nation as the number of positive cases surged to 9.

"For a complete implementation of ongoing lockdown, all authorities need to function well. In this context, the movement from one province to the other, traveling from one district to another and one local body to others will be controlled averting unnecessary movements," Yubraj Khatiwada, Spokesperson for the Government of Nepal said.

After the report of the second case of COVID-19, Nepal is under complete lockdown since March 24th and sealed all its borders with India and China.

Along with the cabinet meeting decided to hold rapid-testing for the possible infection in three districts which has become the epicenter of COVID-19 infection in Nepal.

"Kailali, Kanchanpurand Baglung district will undergo rapid testing to check possible infection of the virus, we call it a rapid-diagnostic test. Those who come under suspicion of being infected with the virus will be tested again through the PCR method, it would help to confirm infection in the suspected one," Khatiwada, also the Finance Minister of KP Sharma Oli led administration added.

Nepal on Saturday confirmed the first local transmission of coronavirus as a relative of a patient currently kept in isolation tested positive for the virus along with two more cases, taking the tally to nine.

The local transmission was confirmed in a 34-year-old female from Kailali District. The other two imported cases were reported in two males who recently came back from India.

The two imported cases are confirmed in a 21-year-old male in Kailali District itself who recently returned to Nepal from Mumbai, India and a 41-year-old male of Kanchanour who returned from Uttarakhand.