Madhesh Province

Province 2 steps up prohibitory orders after increase in Covid-19 cases

Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Sarlahi and Saptari districts, major cities including Janakpur, Birgunj, Jaleshwor and most areas of Bara district. Province 2 steps up prohibitory orders after increase in Covid-19 cases

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Ajit Tiwari

Published at : August 4, 2020

Updated at : August 4, 2020 17:05

Janakpur

Prohibitory orders have been imposed in major cities of six districts in Province 2 after a spike in Covid-19 cases. Only two of the eight districts remain open after authorities decided to impose such orders following an explosion of the coronavirus cases in the province.

While in Birgunj in Parsa district prohibitory order has been in place for more than 10 days now, such an order was imposed in Jaleshwor and Kalaiya a few days ago. Rajbiraj in Saptari district has been under prohibitory order for almost two weeks now.

Prohibitory order was imposed in Janakpur city since yesterday for the next five days.

Dhanusha’s Chief District Officer Prem Prasad Bhattarai said, “Prohibitory orders have been issued in Janakpur and Chhireshwarnath Municipality from Monday midnight until August 9.”

District Administration Office, Saptari, has also issued such orders in Saptari district from Tuesday morning until August 10. Saptari Chief District Officer Shankar Hari Acharya informed that prohibitory order has been imposed in Rajbiraj since July 23, “and the same will be applicable to other places in the districts now in light of the growing number of infections in towns and cities across the district.”

Prohibitory orders will also be imposed in Sarlahi district from tomorrow, said CDO Surendra Poudel.

Indefinite prohibitory order was in place in Birgunj since July 25 after rise in Covid cases and increase in death toll while such orders were imposed in Jaleshwor since July 31 and August 2 in Bara.

As per the Health Ministry, there are 2,357 active cases in Province 2 as of Monday. The ministry said 3,176 individuals have returned home after recovering from Covid-19. Of the 57 Covid-19 related deaths in the country, 19 are from Province 2.

Frequently asked questions about the coronavirus outbreak

UPDATED as of September 22, 2020

What is Covid-19?
Covid-19, short for coronavirus disease, is an illness caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, short for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Common symptoms of the disease include fever, dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

How contagious is Covid-19?
Covid-19 can spread easily from person to person, especially in enclosed spaces. The virus can travel through the air in respiratory droplets produced when a sick person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. As the virus can also survive on plastic and steel surfaces for up to 72 hours and on cardboard for up to 24 hours, any contact with such surfaces can also spread the virus. Symptoms take between two to 14 days to appear, during which time the carrier is believed to be contagious.

Where did the virus come from?
The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China in late December. The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that is responsible for everything from the common cold to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). After an initial outbreak in Wuhan that spread across Hubei province, eventually infecting over 80,000 and killing more than 3,000, new infection rates in mainland China have dropped. However, the disease has since spread across the world at an alarming rate.

What is the current status of Covid-19?

The World Health Organisation has called the ongoing outbreak a “pandemic” and urged countries across the world to take precautionary measures. Covid-19 has spread to 213 countries and territories around the world and infected more than 31,405,983 people with 967,505 deaths and 22,990,260 recoveries. In South Asia, India has reported the highest number of infections at 5,557,573 with 88,943 deaths. While Pakistan has reported 306,304 confirmed cases with 6,420 deaths. Nepal has so far reported 65,276 cases with 427 deaths.

How dangerous is the disease?

The mortality rate for Covid-19 is estimated to be 3.6 percent, but new studies have put the rate slightly higher at 5.7 percent. Although Covid-19 is not too dangerous to young healthy people, older individuals and those with immune-compromised systems are at greater risk of death. People with chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease, or those who’ve recently undergone serious medical procedures, are also at risk.

How do I keep myself safe?
The WHO advises that the most important thing you can do is wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol content. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unclean hands. Clean and disinfect frequently used surfaces like your computers and phones. Avoid large crowds of people. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist for longer than a few days.

Is it time to panic?

No. The government has imposed a lockdown to limit the spread of the virus. There is no need to begin stockpiling food, cooking gas or hand sanitizers. However, it is always prudent to take sensible precautions like the ones identified above.