KATHMANDU, May 18: Prohibitory orders enforced by local administration in various districts to contain further spread of COVID-19 have been largely violated by people, according to the Health Emergency Operation Center under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP).
A study conducted by the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) under the MoHP found that only 59 percent complied with the prohibitory order, while 41 percent others chose to ignore the orders of local administrations. Programs such as worship and fasting are being conducted under various pretexts even as the movement of people and vehicles has been banned. “The purpose for which the prohibitory order was imposed did not materialize,” said Samir Kumar Adhikari, Deputy Spokesperson at the MoHP.
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"If everyone had obeyed the prohibitory order properly, the infection rate would have been much lower," he said. “The infection has spread to different places as people have been going out in various pretexts, moving from one place to another and organizing gatherings.”
Dr Adhikari said that the method of prohibition has been adopted in Nepal to emphasize on prevention as it has been successful in many other countries. The ministry has warned that the ongoing infection surge will continue if people continue to ignore the prohibitory orders.
