PM Oli tells officials to set up quarantine sites at four locations

Published On: February 7, 2020 07:43 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


KATHMANDU, Feb 7: Prime Minister KP Oli has directed the authorities concerned to set up quarantine facilities at four places in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur districts for Nepalis to be evacuated from China.

During a meeting at his official residence at Baluwatar, the prime minister directed the authorities to arrange for quarantine locations at four places – Shivapuri, Ichangunarayan, Suryabinayak and Kharipati.

During the meeting, Narayan Prasad Bidari, a secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, presented a plan to evacuate the Nepalis, while Shanker Das Bairagi, secretary at the foreign ministry, updated Oli on the coronavirus situation.

Prime Minister Oli also directed the ministries concerned to follow the work plan for battling the novel coronavirus.

A total of 180 Nepalis in Wuhan have already submitted applications to Nepal’s embassy in Beijing requesting to be evacuated at the earliest.

Likewise, speaking at a press conference, Gokul Baskota, the spokesman for the government, said the government is concerned about the Nepali students in Wuhan, and urged them to remain calm.

“Fortunately, all the Nepali students are safe. But they are panicking in Wuhan because of their isolation,” he said, adding that the students there are under close monitoring by the Chinese government.

Students evacuated from China will be quarantined for 14 days. “The government is finalizing the locations. The embassy in China is also closely monitoring the situation of Nepali students,” Baskota said, adding that evacuating 180 students from China won’t spread the virus here.

“The government also has to manage transport from the airport to the quarantine locations. The northern neighbor is using even robots to cope with the situation. But in Nepal, everything has to be done by hand,” Baskota added.

He further said that the government is preparing to build a 300-bed hospital which will come in handy in emergency situations. He urged the guardians of the students not to panic. 

Over a week ago, a Nepali student who returned from Wuhan was tested positive for the coronavirus.

Until Thursday, at least 563 people, mostly in China, have died after being infected with the coronavirus.

 

 


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