Difficulties in managing border entries amid Omicron fears

With the recent increase in corona infection rate, there is a challenge to manage the people entering the Far-Western region through border checkpoints easily. Police personnel on duty at the border said that there was a challenge in managing the situation easily as some of the intruders were behaving in a stubborn manner. Deputy Inspector of Police Dipendra Thapa, who was stationed at Doke Bazaar near the Gauriphanta border checkpoint, said that they were harassed by the intruders.

"We tried to send a Nepali from Maharashtra to isolation after the corona test came positive in the checkpoint," he said. As the prevention of corona infection has become very challenging due to the behavior of the citizens entering the country along with the open border, the police personnel stationed at the border suggest that it is necessary to close the border for the prevention of the disease.

One of the staff members complained, "Ministers, leaders come and give instructions, they do not understand the pain suffered by the police and other staff at the border." While the citizens are being sent to the isolation set up in Kanari of Dhangadhi, some of them are being sent to the home isolation in recent days. Most of the incoming citizens have been handed over to the concerned parents and sent safely to home isolation.

Despite the increased risk of coronavirus, the number of people going shopping in the markets including Bangaun and Paliya near Gauriphanta across the border in India has not decreased. Their samples have not even been tested. Due to this, the prevention of this disease has become an additional challenge. In recent days, the problem of corona infection has been increasing and the number of people entering India from across the border has been increasing.

Although caution has been exercised in testing the antigens of all the citizens entering, some people have been deceiving the staff and the police without testing the samples. Aheb Ganesh Saud, head of Trinagar Border Health Desk, said, "It has become very difficult to prevent the risk as some citizens entering through the border are neglecting to test the samples."

The infection rate has also risen as corona-positive patients are being added at a rate of 10 percent daily in a sample test conducted by a health desk at the check post. Saud said, "Out of the few daily samples being tested at this port, the number of infected people is increasing at the rate of ten percent daily." It is seen that the risk of this disease is further increased due to the secretive entry of people. The collected samples have been sent to Kathmandu for further testing on the suspicion of infection of the 'Omicron' coronavirus variant in 12 persons entering through this checkpoint.

A new variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, has spread rapidly and the number of people returning from India through Trinagar border checkpoint (Gauriphanta), Gaddachauki, Baitadi, and Darchula districts in the far western region is increasing. For centuries, India has been the main source of employment for the citizens of the far western states. Due to the open border, monitoring the movement of people through various other checkpoints and testing their samples is also a challenge.

Citizens are being negligent in enforcing health safety standards for prevention and maintaining social distance without overcrowding. So far, more than 50 percent of the people in the far-western states have been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the health directorate of Dipayal said that a further 194 people had been infected with the coronavirus in the far-western states in the last 24 hours. On Monday, 159 people were infected with the disease. In the last 24 hours, five infected people have returned home after treatment.