KATHMANDU, Jan 10 (NNN-XINHUA) – A government body in Nepal yesterday recommended restrictive measures against large gatherings and in-person classes, in response to rising daily COVID-19 cases.
The COVID-19 Crisis Management Coordination Centre (CCMCC), suggested banning gathering of more than 25 people and closing primary and secondary schools till Jan 29. Within this period, the Ministry of Health and Population will have to supply vaccines, to inoculate students aged 12-17 and fully vaccinate teachers and other staff members.
A senior CCMCC official told Xinhua that, the decision was taken, over suggestions by Health Ministry officials.
“There is a projection that the COVID-19 situation may worsen in the third week of Jan, so we decided to recommend restrictive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said the official.
As suggested by the CCMCC, people need to present their vaccination cards to enter public places like offices, hotels, restaurants, cinema halls, stadiums, airports and parks.
The centre also recommended the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, to arrange domestic flights, so that there are no crowds at airports and make it mandatory for passengers to produce vaccination cards starting from Jan 17.
The restrictive measures will go into force once government ministries decide to implement them.
Schools in the Kathmandu Valley reopened in late Sept last year, after being shut for some five months, to curb a second wave of the coronavirus.
Nepal confirmed 24 new cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Friday, after three infections by the variant were identified in Dec, last year.
Yesterday, the country reported 841 new COVID-19 cases, a sharp rise from 213 logged on Jan 2.– NNN-XINHUA
