The Kakadvitta border point in Jhapa district, which sees an exodus and influx of hundreds of people on a daily basis, does not have enough holding centres to shelter people suspected of being infected by the COVID-19.
A meeting held on Monday regarding the issue and chaired by the Chief District Officer (CDO) of Jhapa district, Shrawan Kumar Timilsina, has drawn a conclusion that the border point needed more holding centres that could accommodate as many as 1,000 COVID-19 suspected people.
Citing that the local units faced resources constraint in building holding centres, the meeting also called for assistance from the provincial and federal governments for the same, informed CDO Timilsina.
The number of Nepalis returning home from India via this border point has surged remarkably as the second wave of the pandemic has begun plaguing India lately. "But as of today, the border point has been closed to control the situation," Timalsina told NepalNews.
The District Administration Office, Jhapa, has a provision of a help desk to enquire and identify Nepali citizens at the border point. Furthermore, the personnel deployed at the desk have been checking the body temperatures and conduct antigen tests on suspected cases. In case of infection, people are safely being taken to the Mechi Hospital via an ambulance, informed Timilsina.
Mechi Municipality's Chief Administrator, Khem Raj Ojha, stated that constructing holding centres was not a matter of concern for the municipality alone. He added that the provincial and federal governments also should look seriously into the issue and come up with a remedy.
Discussions are underway among the district administration, provincial government and federal government on the matter, informed Ojha.
Meanwhile, if any person entering Nepal tests positive for COVID-19 during the antigen test, they will be taken to their home for 'home isolation' if they are residents of Mechinagar.
A holding centre was built on the premises of Kakadvitta Secondary School last year, however, it was closed down after the school resumed classes.
The Nepal Army has built a makeshift holding centre close to Mechi Bridge which can accommodate as many as 25 people, shared Mechinagar Municipality Ward No 6 Chair, Lalit Tamang.
Jhapa has recorded a total of 4,819 coronavirus infected persons as of now. Among them, 4,519 have recovered. A total of 169 people are in home isolation. In Jhapa, altogether, 131 people have lost their lives due to coronavirus.
(Input via RSS)
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