KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 18
The Government of Nepal, in a dramatic turn, has lifted the decision to impose a seven-day hotel quarantine for travellers arriving here from 67 countries where omicron variant of COV- ID-19 is spreading rapidly.
Yesterday, the Department of Immigration, upon recommendation from the Ministry of Health and Population, had imposed the restriction. As per the notice, people arriving in Nepal from 67 countries were required to stay in hotel quarantine for seven days and bear the expenses on their own. Among the countries on the list, majority were European countries, including the UK, France. Some Asian countries and the US were also included in the list.
Even after the hotel quarantine was over, the visitors were required to undergo PCR test for the virus and stay in home quarantine seven extra if they tested negative for the virus. But, in the case of positive result, the contracted visitors would be taken to isolation centres and hospitals.
Issuing another notice today, the DoI said the aforementioned decision has been stalled until further notice.
Director General of the DoI Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told THT that they were forced to lift the ban as per the direction taken by the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre, an apex body formed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
"We had decided to take stringent action as per the recommendation of the Health Ministry, but the CCMC again asked us to withdraw the decision for now," Bhattarai said. He further said the CCMC had asked them not to become so strict on imposing compulsory quarantine from so many countries as it would directly hit the tourism-based economy, among other sectors.
Nepal government had decided to take the aforementioned measure in the wake of the spike in the number of Omicron cases in neighbouring countries, including India. The government had also asked the authorities to review new decisions every 15 days as per the situation of spread of the virus.
The new rules for entering the country and quarantine facilities are likely to come into effect in a few days, according to Bhattarai.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 19, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
