Rajbiraj, July 28 While a prohibitory order is in place to curb the transmission of COVID-19 in Rajbiraj, two more local levels have closed down all services except essential ones in Saptari. Rajgadh Rural Municipality and Rupani Rural Municipality have decided to close down all services except essential ones keeping in view the escalating number of the COVID-19 cases. Rajgadh Rural Municipality Chief Parmanand Yadav said that all services were shut down from today. Rupani Rural Municipaliy-1 Chair Dipendra Paswan said that all services except essential ones were closed till further notice. With the rise of COVID cases, the prohibitory order imposed in headquarters Rajbiraj six days ago has been tightened. Fifty-one people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Rajbiraj in the past four days. To curb further rise, prohibitory order has been tightened and PCR tests expanded. According to District Health Office, Saptari, swab samples of 150 to 200 people are being collected and sent for PCR test to Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital on a daily basis. Since the number of people having their swabs tested voluntarily has increased, we are having a hard time at the hospital, said acting chief Dr Ranjit Kumar Jha at Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital. Earlier, swab samples used be sent to Dharan and Biratnagar from Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital. But, they have refused to take swabs from today and we are forced to handle all the cases, said Dr Jha. Police took 36 people under control for not wearing face masks in Rajbiraj today. A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 29, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.