August 11: Government authorities have restricted movement of public and private vehicles in Kathmandu valley from 8 pm onwards effective from August 12.

A notice issued by Chief District Officer, Kali Prasad Parajuli, states that the movement of vehicles during night time in Kathmandu has been restricted from Thursday due to the increasing cases of COVID-19 infection.    

However, vehicles for essential services can be operated at any time, reads the notice.    

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Chief District Officers (CDOs) of the three districts of the Kathmandu Valley on Tuesday has extended the prohibitory order imposed in the Kathmandu Valley until August 24.

The meeting has decided to tighten vehicular movement during the night time while continuing the previous prohibition.

CDO Parajuli added that shops and businesses will be allowed to operate till 7 pm.

According to him, all kinds of gatherings, seminars, party palaces, gyms, dance bars, sports clubs, swimming pools, recreational areas, etc. have been prohibited from operating.

It has been decided that only priests will be allowed to perform daily worship in religious places.

Stating that health measures have been made mandatory due to the increasing infections of covid, Parajuli said that action will be taken against those who do not wear masks and engage in restricted activities.

Even though the current situation seems to be normal, the CDOs of the valley are still extending the prohibitory orders.

Health experts have warned that the measures taken by the government will not be effective to stop the infection from spreading because the prohibitory order has been imposed only for formality.

Commenting on the restriction on vehicular movement after 8 pm as a ritual, health expert Sameer Mani Dixit said that such activities are being done only to show that they have done or achieved something during the pandemic.

"As the prohibition has hit all sectors of the economy badly, doing so should no longer be an option," he added, “Since prohibitions are continuously being imposed just for a show-off, it will not actually stop the infection”. He said that the alternative now can be loosening the prohibition and vaccinating citizens, following strict health measures.

Hospitals have been overcrowded due to the recent increase in Covid-19 infection. In addition, 4,904 people tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, while 35 patients succumbed to the disease.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the age group of 21 to 40 years has been most affected by the new variant of Covid-19. According to the spokesperson for the Ministry, Dr.  Sameer Adhikari, there are 37,332 active cases of coronavirus in Nepal at present.