August 21: The government has decided to resume chartered flights to airlift its citizens stranded abroad due to Covid-19 pandemic. A meeting of the Council of Ministers took a decision to this effect on Thursday (August 20).

All rescued citizens will have to isolate themselves in hotels for at least a week after returning back to Nepal.

The cabinet decided to resume its operation to rescue Nepali citizens stranded abroad upon the recommendation of the Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC).

The government will operate three chartered flights per day to rescue the stranded citizens.

The latest decision is a U-turn from its decision taken just three days ago to ban all chartered flights after the capital recorded a massive surge in Covid-19 cases.

The meeting also decided to facilitate the movement of diplomats stationed in Nepal. Another decision includes increasing quarantine facilities at the local levels.

Similarly, the government has also decided to bear the expenses for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in private hospitals. The government's decision comes amid concerns that the government hospitals alone cannot provide treatment to all patients amid growing infection in the capital.

Nepali nationals returning from India via all 10 entry points will also have to isolate themselves for a week in the border areas.

Although most of the districts have enforced prohibitory order to crub the spread of infection, the cabinet meeting has decided not to restrict the transportation of raw materials required for industries and factories.