Experts have suggested the government to ease the ongoing lockdown in a careful manner to restart socio-economic activities. In a consultation meeting hosted by the Prime Minster KP Sharma Oli at his office in Baluwatar on Wednesday evening, the group 25 experts comprising of economists, public health experts, development planners and social activists asked the government to facilitate the resumption of activities to bring the lives of ordinary citizens back to normalcy. They suggested that measures should be adopted to provide treatment to COVID-19 infected making proper use of the limited resources, while also focusing on public awareness against the spread of coronavirus.

Amid growing frustration among the citizens as the protracted lockdown continues to cripple daily lives of the people, PM Oli invited the experts to discuss on finding ways to safely open social and economic activities. Experts said that the lockdown has adversely impacted every walk of social life and the government, therefore, needs to tread with caution to normalize socio-economic activities. The meeting which went on for four hours was also participated by Deputy Prime Minister and high-level Covid-19 response team coordinator Ishwar Pokharel, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Minister for Health and Population Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal and other high-ranking government officials. Surya Thapa, press adviser of the Prime Minister said that the consultation meeting was ‘very fruitful and result-oriented’.

The lockdown imposed by the government on March 24 has been extended to 14 June.   Citizens have mostly followed the government’s stay -at-home order for the last 73 days However, the growing defiance of the crippling restrictions on transportation, travel and business activities by business owners and ordinary citizens in the recent days has created pressure on the government to rethink and revise its strategies to combat the spread of coronavirus.