Itahari, March 21

Province 1 government has decided to set up a 50-bed hospital along with 10-bed ventilator facility in partnership with the Nepali Army and Armed Police Force and Nepal Police.

The hospital will be established in the building of erstwhile National Trading Limited within a week. The facility is being established to address potential outbreak of COVID-19. The provincial government has also decided to close border with India by urging the federal government for the same.

Two northern border with China — Kimanthanka and Olangchunggola were closed since 19 January by China.

The government said it upheld its already circulated decision to ban gathering all over the province. A meeting led by Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai yesterday at the provincial headquarters Biratnagar took the decisions.

The meeting also decided to upgrade medical laboratories of Dharan-based B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and Biratnagar-based Koshi Zonal Hospital.

An emergency meeting of the provincial Cabinet has endorsed 12 separate decisions.

The decisions include implementing all decisions made by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Ishwor Pokhrel to take precaution on COVID-19, directing all line agencies under provincial government to manage running water and soap at all governmental and non-governmental institutions.

Other decisions includes to stop all services like registration, renew and licence issued by transport management offices and transport service offices under the provincial government until 12 April. The provincial government has decided to form a 25-member monitoring committee comprising all stakeholders chaired by CM Rai. Province 1, so far, has not recorded a single case of COVID-19.