By Ashok Ghimire, Kathmandu, Aug. 21: The government has made public the list of hotels with the price to be used as quarantine facility for those returning home by a chartered flight from abroad.

The Kathmandu District Administration Office made the list public, which was provided to it on August 20 by Department of Tourism. Bed capacity of the hotels enlisted is 3,500.

District Crisis Management Committee, Kathmandu, had on August 18 decided to enlist hotels for those who enter the country from abroad through the Tribhuvan International Airport and are willing to stay in the hotel-quarantine as per the Order to Facilitate for Nepalis in Dire Need to Come Home from Abroad, 2077.

Rama Ghimire, administrative officer at DAO Kathmandu, informred the enlisted hotels range from star to normal tourist hotels.

Surendra Thapa, information officer at Department of Tourism, said that the hotels enlisted are some of those that can uphold health safety related standards and that the number of the hotels would be increased as per the need.

He said the list was prepared following discussion with the Hotel Association and the hoteliers.

Hotels located at Thamel, Tahachal, Gausala, Battisputali, Durmarg, Sano Gaucharan, Naxal, Bhaktapur, Lajimpat, Godawari, Kamaladi, Swoyambhu, Jhamsikhel, Bhudhanilkantha, Lainchaur, Kamalpokhari and Bag Bazar are enlisted as facility to be used as quarantine.

The Tourism Department has also brought forth the food menu of the hotels and the price. At a five star hotel, room price for a day is Rs. 9,000 while if the same room is shared by two persons, they each will be charged Rs. 6000. Charge of the hotel decreases as per its star standard. At a normal tourist standard hotel, a person is charged a day Rs. 2,800 for a room when stayed alone but when the room is shared with another person, it cost Rs. 1,800 for each.

The government has already decided to evacuate Nepalis stranded abroad due to COVID-19 by means of chartered flights and that those rescued in such a way should stay at a hotel quarantine for at least a week. Some 52,000 Nepalis from 59 different countries have been brought home by chartered flights till August 19. (Translated from RSS Nepali news service)