Thousands of people enter Jamunah checkpoint daily, putting Banke at high risk of COVID

SURKHET: According to the District Administration Office, Banke, more than one thousand people have started returning to Nepal daily from the Jamunah checkpoint of Banke, which is considered as the main gateway to Karnali.

Three of the returnees from India have confirmed to have COVID and others are at high risk of infection. According to Chief District Officer Ram Bahadur Kurumwang, the three have been kept in isolation.

‘More than a thousand Nepalis are returning home here on a daily basis. We are currently operating a health desk at a checkpoint. We are trying to see if there is a COVID infection from the antigen method. 

Kurumwang told Nepal Press, ” 18 people who have been confirmed to have COVID today are not citizens of India. They have come to Bheri Hospital, Medical Hospital for treatment. Now at the Jamuna checkpoint, we have started tightening up a bit. We are allowing those coming from India to enter. ‘

He said that India was at high risk of COVID due to which it was taking precaution to prevent the spread of COVID as much as possible.

‘Since the COVID pandemic, the checkpoint has not been officially opened yet. As most of the citizens here go to India for employment, there was movement at the border. ‘

CDO Kurumwang added, “We are now taking precaution as there are high COVID outbreak in  India, there might be a situation where we should make a decision to have lockdown”

“It simply came to our notice then. If the COVID  cases intensify in the future, there may be a lockdown. ‘He says,’ There is no quarantine in the border area at present. We will take the necessary decision based on the situation. ”He called on the citizens coming from India to enter Nepal using security precautions.