The Home Ministry has decided to regulate the vehicles entering the Kathmandu Valley from Thursday, citing an increase in coronavirus cases among the people coming from other parts of the country. 

As per the decision, no vehicles would be allowed to enter the Valley between 7pm to 7am beginning from Thursday until further notice. The rule, however, will not apply for vehicles providing essential services and supplying goods.

“A large number of people coming to the Kathmandu Valley from various parts of the country tested positive for coronavirus at various entry points,” the ministry said in a statement as it announced to regulate the vehicles entering the Valley, particularly during the night. “The decision has been made to ensure better surveillance and management of vehicular movements at the entry points.”

As of Thursday afternoon, health workers have collected 8,401 random swab samples from people entering the Valley from Nagdhunga, Pharping and Sanga entry points. The test results of 24 samples have come positive for coronavirus after testing 3,473 samples, according to the Health Ministry. 

Forty-eight infections were reported in the Valley on Thursday, taking the total infection numbers to 383 in Kathmandu, 90 in Lalitpur and 55 in Bhaktapur.

The Home Ministry has directed the concerned district administration offices to ensure controlled tests of all people entering the Valley from other parts of the country. It has also told the concerned local administrations outside the Valley to stop issuing entry passes to vehicles for inter-district movements, except for essential services.

Announcing the decisions of the Cabinet meeting, government spokesperson Yubaraj Khatiwada also said that the presence of security personnel along the Nepal-India border areas will be increased as people have been sneaking into Nepal from India through porous borders.
“They are using routes of jungles and rivers and therefore security presence will be increased,” said Khatiwada.

According to authorities, symptomatic cases of Covid-19 have been increasing in recent weeks and as many as 10 people have died in the last one week.