KATHMANDU: As a precaution to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the government is preparing to temporarily halt import of packaged food products, including meat, from countries where the coronavirus has spread.

Matina Joshi Vaidhya, director general at the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DoFTQC), informed that plans were afoot to halt import of such products, if necessary, especially from China, South Korea, Italy, Japan and Iran.

“However, no official decision to this effect has been made yet,” informed Vaidhya.