KATHMANDU, MAY 17

The Ministry of Health and Population has said that people are not abiding by the prohibitory orders. It has said that there has been no decrease in the mobility of people.

"With the prohibitory orders enforced by the government to break the chain of coronavirus infection, a massive decline in the mobility of people was expected. However, according to the ministry, mobility has declined only by 59 per cent."

"People are defying the prohibitory order and not following safety health guidelines. People are celebrating weddings and religious activities. As such, the number of infections has not declined as expected," it stated.

The health ministry said there was high rate of infection in Kathmandu, Rupandehi, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Morang, Kailali, Kaski, Banke, Dang, Chitwan, Surkhet, Jhapa, Kanchanpur, Dhanusha, Kavrepalanchowk, Sunsari, Parsa, Bardia, and Palpa.

Also, COVID-infected people have been seen walking freely in these districts.

The ministry has warned that the coming weeks are even more challenging.

It has also requested people to follow health measures, abide by the prohibitory order and cooperate in the fight against the deadly virus.

A version of this article appears in the print on May 18, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.