Police fired 12 warning shots to quell a protest staged by people of Katahariya Municipality, Rautahat, against the local government’s decision to convert a local school building into a Covid-19 quarantine centre.

A clash erupted between locals and municipal officials on the issue of setting up a quarantine centre on the building of Bhasedawa Secondary School. One police officer was also injured in the affray. He was taken to a health facility in Garuda for treatment.

People living close to the school are afraid that the coronavirus infection could spread in the community from the proposed quarantine facility.

“We don’t know what kind of precautions they will take at the facility. We are scared the virus may make its way into the local community,” said Balmiki Yadav, a local.

The situation escalated when the locals started hurling stones on municipal officials and security personnel who had reached in the area to look at the possible quarantine facility site.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Bharat Shrestha said the security personnel fired warning shots after the local people started pelting stones.

Katahariya Municipality is planning to set up a quarantine centre in Ward No 1 after the facility at Janata Secondary School in Ward No 5 reached its full capacity, with more than 200 people currently housed there

“We don’t want to put the locals at risk of any kind. Discussions are on to find a suitable place that won’t affect the locals. Many people have returned from India in the past few days and some are still on their way to Katahariya. We have to keep them in seclusion to control the possible spread of Covid- 19 in the area,” said Mayor Siyaram Kushwaha.