WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 178 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 35.0 C 14.7 C Friday, August 21, 2020 | 05-05-2077 Bhairahawa Jomsom Restrictions can’t check virus spread, proper response needed, experts say Public health experts reiterate that the authorities must utilise the period to expand testing and contact tracing and devise short- and long-term strategies. ARJUN POUDEL new cases were reported in a week in KATHMANDU, AUG 20 the Valley after the lockdown ended on July 21. The number of new infec- Districts including those in tions reported on August 4 was 251 Kathmandu Valley may have been (the second week); 587 on August 11 under strict restrictions, but (third week); and 1,027 on August 18 unless authorities fully utilise this (fourth week). period to increase tests and ensure On Thursday, when the Valley contact tracing and pull out all the returned to lockdown with strict stops, it could be yet another restrictions imposed, 200 new cases opportunity squandered, public were reported. The Valley’s Covid-19 health experts say. tally now has reached 2,316. Multiple doctors the Post spoke to The country as of Thursday has said that the virus has taken hold in reported 29,645 positive cases, includ- the community and that an effective ing 126 deaths. contact tracing is the only way to Death rate too has increased more break the transmission chain. than threefold in recent weeks. “We all know a lockdown or restric- Eighteen people had died until tion for an indefinite period is not August 4—in two weeks since the end POST PHOTO: HEMANTA SHRESTHA possible. Nor is it a solution to the of the lockdown on July 21, but 56 peo- Police briefly detained people who were out for various purposes at New Baneshwor in Kathmandu on Thursday. Authorities said a total of 2,326 people were held for flouting the restrictions pandemic,” said Dr Madhu Devkota, a ple succumbed to the virus from while 991 two-wheelers and 322 four-wheelers were stopped and taken in custody on the charge of plying without essential work. They were later released. professor at the Institute of Medicine, August 5 to August 18 (two weeks). Tribhuvan University. “We have to Experts say what is concerning is prepare.” cases are now doubling in a week or According to Devkota, the past lock- less in the Valley. Kathmandu is one of down is an example of how the gov- the most densely populated areas in ernment failed in the fight against the the country, with a huge mobility of Confusion and chaos as Kathmandu Valley virus. people. “The lockdown was imposed in An official at the Covid-19 Crisis haste and lifted without any plan- Management Centre told the Post that ning,” said Devkota. “We are facing Kathmandu Valley is facing a very the consequences now. ” serious situation. residents wake up to new coronavirus curbs According to the Health Ministry, 92 >> Continued on page 2 A lack of clarity on opening timings of shops selling essential goods and who are allowed to move around and who are not creates hassles for the public and law enforcers. ANUP OJHA & SHUVAM DHUNGANA some time in “holding centres” the 180 in Bhaktapur. KATHMANDU, AUG 20 police have set up at various places. Local governments say they are help- Police also stopped some who were less and that they are just facilitating Kumar Timilsena had opened his on their way to office, as it was diffi- the chief district officer’s orders. store at Kupondole for just half an cult for them to identify who was on “Our role is to disseminate the mes- hour on Thursday morning when essential services and who was not. sage of the district administration policemen came on motorcycles, sirens On Thursday, banks said that their office, and we are implementing its blaring, and told him to close his shop. staff coming to work were stopped by decision,” said Raju Man Manandhar, “I had just received a supply of milk police and their motorcycles were spokesperson for the Lalitpur from a dairy,” said the 40-year-old who impounded. They warned that they Metropolitan City office. operates a grocery store. “I guess the will not provide services on Friday if Lalitpur Chief District Officer milk will go to waste now.” the movement of their staff is not Bhatta admitted that there were com- Later he learned from another shop facilitated. plaints from the public about confu- that police had been going around, Nepal Rastra Bank spokesman sion in timings—as to when the shops announcing that stores would be Gunakar Bhatta told the Post that the will open and till when they can buy allowed to open from 4am to 7am only. matter of obstruction of movement of foodstuff. On Tuesday evening, chief district the bank staff had been sorted out “We are having consultations over officers of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and with the Home Ministry, as banks fall the issue,” Bhatta told the Post. “We Bhaktapur issued prohibitory orders under the essential service category. may extend the period for buying and effective Wednesday midnight to con- Later on Thursday, the Kathmandu selling essential goods.” tain the spread of the virus. District Administration Office issued He, however, was quick to add that The orders say people should not a notice, saying that movement of it’s incumbent upon the local federal come out of home unless for buying vehicles carrying essential workers units to decide when it comes to man- medicines and essentials, vehicles would be facilitated. aging shops. should remain off the roads and only those, including shops, providing essential services should operate. When Nalini Shah, who lives in Bakhundole, went out to buy some foodstuff about 8am on Thursday, she did not find any shops open. “I had gone to buy milk, but all shops were closed,” said Shah. “Nor could I buy vegetables.” Local administrations’ prohibitory orders seem to be stricter compared to the lockdown days, but they have failed to properly inform the public. “We had tentatively announced to allow shops selling daily essentials to open from 4am to 7am,” said Narayan Prasad Bhatta, chief district officer of Lalitpur. When there was a nationwide lock- down from March 24, essential shops POST PHOTO: KESHAV THAPA selling foodstuff had been allowed to Policemen enforce a shutdown in Kalanki, Kathmandu, on Thursday. open initially until 9am, which later had been extended until 10am and The Oli government’s decision to let In Kathmandu, too, shopkeepers then the whole day. chief district officers grant powers to said they were confused about the dis- The Tuesday decision of the chief issue prohibitory orders has already trict administrators’ orders. district officers of the Valley, however, faced criticism with experts saying “Yesterday, police came and said has created confusion among the the move is against the spirit of the there would be prohibitory orders people. constitution, as it undermines provin- from Thursday. But we were forced to Without clarity on the timings for cial and local governments. close our shops after opening it for 15 buying essential stuff, many in differ- The government’s move of allowing minutes at 7am,” said Kiran Khanal, ent parts of the city thronged various local administrators to take their own who owns a cold store in Dhobichaur. shops, disregarding safety protocols measures to contain the spread of the “We could not open the shops through- and physical distancing. Police even virus comes amid widespread criti- out the day.” held some who were out for morning cism that it largely failed in the fight Rajeshwor Gyawali, administrative walks and jogging. They, however, against the pandemic. spokesperson for the Kathmandu were let go later on after spending The prohibitory orders in the Valley Metropolitan City, said he is unaware were issued after a sudden surge of the District Administration Office’s in the number of Covid-19 cases decision regarding the timings for over the past weeks after the gov- shops selling foodstuff. ernment lifted the nationwide Senior Superintendent Shyam Lal lockdown on July 21. Gyawali, chief of the Kathmandu The Health Ministry said that Metropolitan Police Range, said police 200 new cases were reported were closing the shops as per the in Kathmandu Valley on instructions from the local level. Thursday—174 in Kathmandu, “After assessing the risk in their 18 in Lalitpur and eight in areas, local authorities of every ward Bhaktapur. The total number of have allocated the time for shops to cases in Kathmandu Valley cur- open,” said Gyawali. “Police are only rently stands at 2,698—2151 in assisting in effective implementation Kathmandu, 367 in Lalitpur, and of a ward’s decisions.” C M Y K FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2020 | 02 NATIONAL Rupandehi authorities face Flood-displaced families from Integrated local resistance to their bid settlement plan Bhajani seek refuge in forest in Karnali to set up isolation centres More than 550 families who were displaced by the July flood have moved to fails to move Tilottama and Siddharthanagar municipalities have failed a community forest after living on the Postal Highway for eight days. beyond paper to set up new isolation centres as Covid-19 cases spiral. MOHAN BUDHAAIR KALENDRA SEJUWAL DHANGADHI, AUG 20 SURKHET, AUG 20 SANJU PAUDEL post.” According to him, they can RUPANDEHI, AUG 20 accommodate up to 20 patients in the The flood displaced families in For Dirgharaj Shahi, a local of Raskot park’s building. Bhajani Municipality, Kailali, have Municipality in Kalikot, monsoons On August 15, the Covid-19 Crisis However, Ram Giri, coordinator of moved to Mohanyal Community are unforgiving.