Chitwan, March 16

As the fear of coronavirus spread looms, Chitwan District Administration Office is engaged in preventing its spread.

Preparations are under way to arrange 75 beds for isolation to keep coronavirus-infected people in Chitwan.

The beds will be managed at Bharatpur Hospital, two medical colleges, and private hospitals.

At the press meet organised by Chitwan DAO today, Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said 20 beds would be separated for the

isolation ward at Bharatpur Hospital and 20 beds each would be managed at two big medical colleges. Likewise, 15 beds will be managed at private hospitals.

CDO Bhattarai said they were searching for space to make quarantine area to keep coronavirus infected people.

“We are looking for space to construct a quarantine site.

Most probably, we shall fix the place for that in two to three days,” he said.

Chitwan DAO has started tightening the district’s border points. “We have started keeping a vigil on foreigners entering Chitwan by air and by land,” he added.

The DAO has written to doctors and health workers not to stay on leave except for emergency and it has also expedited market monitoring.

The DAO has directed people to avoid family and social gatherings.

The DAO said it would adopt zero tolerance against traders creating artificial shortage of goods in the market. “We have sought the help of the central government to supply face masks to meet the demand,” said CDO Bhattarai.

Of the four people suspected to have been infected with COVID-19, three tested negative while the result of one has yet to come, according to Information Officer Lila Poudel of Bharatpur Hospital.