Nepalgunj, March 14

With the report of two confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Indian city of Lucknow in the past four days, life in Nepalgunj, the city just across the border, has been quite edgy at the prospect of the contagion spreading here as well.

After a female doctor was diagnosed with coronavirus in Lucknow on Wednesday, a second case, a man in his twenties, was reported to have contracted the virus there today.

Following the report of coronavirus cases in the Uttar Pradesh capital city, authorities in Nepalgunj, Banke, have been extra careful to prevent the virus entering Nepal. On the Nepali side, screening of people crossing over to Nepal has been tightened at health desks set up there. Lucknow is some 190km from Nepalgunj.

As India has adopted strict measures and cancelled all countries’ visas until April 15 in view of the threat of coronavirus transmission, the same has sparked fear in Banke about a possible closure of border.

Banke District Administration Office, however, has clarified there won’t be border closure. “As per our knowledge, India has cancelled visas for third country tourists, not for Nepalis. The talk that India is going to close the border is just a rumour,” said Chief District Officer Kumar Bahadur Khadka.