People returning from India spread infections: Nepal PM

The Nepali government has decided to seal off all the entry points to capital Kathmandu, to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the densely-populated city. The govt has tightened the entry and exit of vehicles even with authorized passes, as people who are not in an emergency have started to misuse such passes.

Kathmandu: As the country registered its highest single-day rise with 79 new infections taking the total number to 682, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday blamed India for the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in his country.

“The fatality in Nepal is less in comparison to other countries of South Asia," Oli said.

"Those coming from India are coming without proper checking which has contributed to the further spread of COVID-19,” he added.

Earlier this week, Oli had stirred a sharp attack on India amid a border dispute, saying that the 'virus' from India seemed 'more lethal' than the ones from China.

The Nepali government has decided to seal off all the entry points to capital Kathmandu, to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the densely-populated city, officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

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The govt has tightened the entry and exit of vehicles even with authorized passes, as people who are not in an emergency have started to misuse such passes.

According to Nepal's Traffic Police, except the emergency vehicles and vehicles carrying essential goods, no other vehicle without a pass has been allowed to enter Kathmandu Valley.

It is to be noted that Nepal, which has extended its nationwide lockdown till June 2 to contain the spread of the coronavirus, is among the nations that has the least number of cases of the deadly COVID-19 with only four deaths.

(with inputs from ANI)