Coronavirus: Nepal restricts mass gathering, closes down public places

Nepal on Wednesday banned large gatherings and closed down public places such as movie theatres, cultural centres, gymnasiums, night clubs, swimming pools, stadiums and museums until the end of April in response to the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was taken by a high-level coordination committee at Singha Durbar secretariat considering the accelerating global spread of the coronavirus, according to an official statement.

The Nepal government has, as a precautionary measures, restricted public gatherings of more than 25 people at one place, it said.

In line with this decision, people will not be allowed to gather in large numbers at public venues such as party palaces and at religious sites, among others, the statement said.

The government has also decided to close down public places such as movie theatres, cultural centres, gymnasiums, night clubs, swimming pools, stadiums, and museums, among others until April end, its said.

Meanwhile, all individuals, who had their health check-ups, tested negative for COVID-19 in Nepal till Tuesday, according to a Health Ministry official.

Chief Consultant at the ministry Dipendra Raman Singh said that the tests of all 467 individuals were negative.

At a programme organised by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Singh said that provision of intensive care treatment would be managed in three hospitals in the country.

"Experts have been deployed for the treatment," he added.

Director at Sukraraj Tropical Hospital Teku Basudev Pandey said that proper attention to personal hygiene and community health could help prevent the infection of coronavirus pneumonia.

The coronavirus outbreak, which first emerged in China's Wuhan city last year, has infected 198,006 people and killed 7,948, according to a tracker maintained by the Johns Hopkins University.