Nepal bans entry of people from 9 countries including Hong Kong over Covid Omicron variant

KATHMANDU: The government of Nepal has decided not to allow people from nine countries to enter the country to curb the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.

People have been barred to enter Nepal from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi and Hong Kong. The decision will come into effect from today midnight.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday made the decision to this effect, Tourism Minister Prem Ale said.

The government has also urged the people to not travel abroad expect for emergency works. Government officials should also take prior permission before leaving the country.

Minister Ale said that people who have been to aforementioned countries in the past three weeks will also not be allowed to enter Nepal and all other international travellers who are already in transit must stay in hotel quarantine for a week at their own cost.

Earlier on November 29, the government had issued an order regarding the travel management of people coming to Nepal from various South African countries.

The government had said the people coming from countries where the new variant has been detected will have to undergo tests at the Tribhuvan International Airport and will have to stay in hotel quarantine.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the new variant, Omicron, could spread rapidly and cause serious infection.

Meanwhile, the government has directed the concerned authority to form a quarantine management team under the leadership of Covid Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) to control the spread of the new variant.

Similarly, the government has also decided to inoculate 200,000 people daily to prevent the virus from spreading.