Nepal plans to ease lockdown, restart economy as it reports 59 Coronavirus cases

Health workers wearing protective gear wait for patients at a health centre during a government-imposed lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Kathmandu on April 22, 2020. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)


Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population is charting out plans to ease the nationwide lockdown imposed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, in a bid to gradually restart the stalled economy, according to a media report.

If the recommendations of the Ministry are adopted, 77 districts of the country would be divided into three clusters of red, yellow and green, depending on population density, geography, linkage to international border and number of coronavirus cases, The Himalayan Times said in the report on Friday.

Districts that fall under yellow and green zones will see relaxation in restrictions, whereas areas categorised as red zones will continue to remain shut, it added.

Chief consultant, Roshan Pokharel said, “We are still working on these modalities. Nothing has been finalised yet”.

Last week, the government decided to extend the suspension of all domestic and international flights till May 15 as a precautionary measure against the spread of deadly virus.

Nepal has been under lockdown since March 24 after the second COVID-19 case was reported.

The country has reported 59 COVID-19 cases with no deaths.

Earlier, the government has also decided to set up quarantine facilities at provincial and local levels as a precautionary measure to provide quick treatment to people infected with the deadly virus.

Meanwhile, globally, the novel coronavirus cases have crossed 3.4 million mark taking confirmed cases to 34,00,674 including 2,39,586 deaths and 10,81,590 recovered patients.