SURKHET/BANKE May 4: Karnali Province will remain sealed off for a week starting 12 midnight on Monday, the province government has said.
A meeting of the Crisis Management Council presided over by the chief minister of Karnali Province, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, took a decision to this effect Monday evening.
The province government's decision comes in the wake of growing COVID-19 cases in some places of neighboring Province 5 and Sudurpaschim Province. On Monday alone, Nepalgunj city of Province 5 witnessed 16 coronavirus cases.
The Karnali Province government has decided to mobilize health workers at 27 places including rural municipalities and major markets to conduct tests and establish isolation wards if required. Karnali Province currently has 3,409 health workers.
According to Social Development Minister of the province, Dal Rawal, people will be barred from entering and leaving the province for seven days apparently to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Week-long lockdown in Banke from midnight Monday
Health workers including physicians from Karnali Academy of Health Sciences will be deployed at Kalikot, Jumla, Mugu and Dolpa districts while doctors from Karnali Province Hospital, Mehelkuna Hospital and Chaurjahari Hospital will be mobilized to Surkhet, Dailekh, Salyan, Jajarkot and Rukum districts.
It is estimated that more than 10,000 people have entered Karnali Province from the Babai entry point once the country went into a nationwide lockdown on March 23.
Nepalgunj sub-metropolis declared a restricted zone
Meanwhile, Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City was declared a restricted zone on Monday. An all-party meeting held on Monday decided to announce the city as a restricted zone in view of the steep rise in COVID-19 cases in the city.
The restriction will start from 11 am Tuesday and end at midnight 12 on May 7. The city will also accelerate throat swab testing of the people keeping in mind the rising COVID-19 cases.
