• Groceries to open till 11:00 am
• Kids below 12, elderly above 60 barred from venturing out

KATHMANDU: District administration offices of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur today extended the ongoing prohibitory orders in their districts by a week till the midnight of September 9. The orders bar people from venturing out of home for non-essential work. DAOs have prohibited public transportation, social gatherings, movement of the public and opening of shops dealing with non-essential goods. They have, however, made relaxation in some areas. Shops dealing in food items, vegetables and fruits can remain open from early morning till 11:00 am. Till today, these shops were allowed to operate till 9:00 am. Shops dealing in construction materials can operate from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur and from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Lalitpur. Essential industries can operate but they will have to make arrangements to house their workers and staff within industrial units. They will also have to follow the government’s health protocols. All vehicles transporting essential items and construction materials can enter Kathmandu valley but drivers and helpers of the vehicles will have to stay in home quarantine. Those people that would give their nasal and throat swabs to laboratories for COVID-19 tests should strictly follow home quarantine rules. The DAOs have stated that ward offices in Kathmandu valley will monitor the compliance of home quarantine rules. Essential service providers, government staff and bank officials can go to their offices, but people above 60, children below the age of 12 and people with serious medical conditions are prohibited from venturing out of their homes even for essential service purposes. Shops are allowed to employ only COVID-negative people to carry out takeaway and home delivery services. DAOs have told banks to try their best to give service through virtual and online banking system. However, if they have to open banks, then they should put only one-third staff on duty. A meeting of the chief district officers of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur took a decision to extend the ongoing prohibitory order in the three districts of the valley in view of the sharp rise in COVID cases. Prohibitory orders were first clamped in the valley on August 20 and extended by another week on August 26. Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population Jageshwor Gautam said at a press conference today that the ministry had directed district administrations to impose prohibitory orders in districts where active COVID cases were more than 500 and enforce lockdown in those districts where active COVID cases were 200 or more. Earlier, some changes to the current modality of shutdown were being contemplated by the district authorities as stakeholders had recommended partial lifting of the lockdown citing hardship faced by the people due to absolute closure of all kinds of activities. However, in view of the sharp spike in number of daily cases in the valley and therefore a huge concentration of active cases, it has been decided that the shutdown will continue for another week. The initial order that was decreed on August 20 and saw a week-long term extension on August 27 was due to expire today midnight.