Kathmandu, March 26 : The government is to resume the imports from the two transit points with China—Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani. This will be done after fulfilling the health related protocol set by the Ministry of Health and Population, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. The COVID-19 infection prevention and control high-level committee led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Iswar Pokharel took a decision to this end, and urged the Ministries of Home and Finance to carry out the necessary coordination.
The committee meeting held on Wednesday (March 25) also decided to resume essential banking service, allow vehicles carrying daily essentials to ply during the lock down, workers in medicine, gas, and other such industries to be transported from work to home, and for big grocery stores to arrange home delivery in coordination with the Home Ministry.
Likewise, the ward offices in the local level have been authorized to facilitate sale and distribution of daily essentials including fruits, milk, cereals and vegetables in a safe and secured manner. Concession in power tariff and duty tariff of induction cooker will be provided to promote the use of electricity for cooking.
Foreign nationals trapped in different places of the country due to nation-wide lockdown would be air lifted to Kathmandu in coordination with home ministry and tourism ministry, they would be facilitated to return homes and if needed kept in quarantine at their personal expenses at hotels nearby Tribhuvan International Airpot.
The meeting also took the decisions where local levels should maintain records with updated health-related details of all persons entering their wards from third countries and India every day.
Likewise, local health coordinator should provide details of persons developing COVID-19 symptoms to Chief District Officer every day while the CDO has to send such details at National Emergency Operation Center, which will refer it to Emergency Health Operation Center at 6:00 pm every day.
The committee also asked states and local levels to make arrangements of quarantines and bring them into operation and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has to make arrangement of connecting four-digit toll-free telephone service at the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Home Ministry and Health Ministry.
