RAJBIRAJ, JULY 16

Locals in Saptari have been violating the lockdown imposed by the government as preventive and precautionary measures to control the possible outbreak of the COVID-19.

Even as new cases are on the rise in Bihar state of India, which is under lockdown for sixteen days, people in Saptari, adjacent to Bihar, have been violating the government regulation.

The risk of infection has increased after people started walking without wearing masks and not adhering to social distancing rule.

Informative banners kept in different places for raising awareness among the people have failed to capture their attention.

The infection rate is likely to increase as people have started gathering in market places, tea shops and hotels, among other places.

Though people returning from India are allowed to enter the country through Kunauli and police have been taking India returnees directly to quarantine facilities from the entry point, the locals in the border areas said the India returnees were also were using other routes to enter the country.

The flow of the India returnees has not declined.

Health workers said COV- ID-19 cases could increase as people travelling in rickshaws did not wear face masks and there was unwanted gathering in market places, offices and shops. They urged the district dwellers to adopt safety measures against the virus.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 17, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.