Offices to be run with one-fourth of employees only

The COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) has decided to operate other offices except those providing the most essential services through one-fourth of their existing employees.

In the decision of the meeting held on Saturday, it noted that the banks and financial institutions being operated in the lockdown-enforced Kathmandu Valley and other big cities would be asked to operate their business through one-fourth of the employees. Nepal Rastra Bank would facilitate the process in the enforcement of the order.

The press pass issued by the Department of Information and Publicity would be valid in the case of the Kathmandu Valley while the Chief District Officers are authorised to issue such pass in other districts.

The CCMC has also decided to enforce food and accommodation for employees and workers of the industries and enterprises within the industry to keep its smooth operation, run the factories and industries producing materials (mask, sanitiser, soap, gloves, oxygen) used for prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 by adopting health safety protocol and continue with public infrastructure construction by arranging food and accommodation for the workers involved in the field.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister Iswor Pokharel-led CCMC’s Secretariat, the public vehicles used for supplying construction materials in such public projects would be allowed based on the pass provided by the project.

In Kathmandu Valley, the Department of Tourism, Department of Immigration, Nepal Tourism Board and Nepal Police would jointly monitor those residing in hotel quarantines while the province and local levels would carry out the task in other districts. The local levels would monitor the people residing in home quarantines. Likewise, the foreigners residing in hotel quarantines would be deported to their home country with a penalty if they were found violating the health protocols at the time of the pandemic. For the failure of proper management, the hoteliers would be fined as per the laws.

As decided by the CCMC, the mass media would be requested to disseminate awareness-raising messages against COVID-19 and the local levels would conduct miking in every community to aware the people against COVID-19.