NEPAL has now reported some more confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus after the government intensified its nationwide tests of the deadly virus. As of Wednesday (April 15), the number of COVID-19 positive cases across the country has reached 16. The first case of the virus in the country was detected on January 24. The country is likely to go up further as the virus screening tests are being conducted throughout the nation. The fresh detection of two more cases in the residents of Sun City Apartments located in Kageswari Manohara Municipality of Kathmandu district has become a matter of concern. One of the patients is 81-year-old woman while another is 58-year-old man. The woman is the mother of the man. The victims had returned to Kathmandu from UK about one month back. They are now under observation at the isolation ward of Patan Hospital. Several other overseas returnees are also believed to have been living there. Suspecting the possibility of local transmission from those patients and others, the government has begun testing all those living in the apartment. Under this fresh initiative, some 1,500 people belonging to about 500 families will be screened.

In view of the possible spread of the virus, the government has decided to extend the ongoing lockdown until April 27. A Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday took the decision in this connection. In its bid to prevent the transmission of the virus, the government has imposed the lockdown nationwide since March 24.The government has also decided to put a ban on all the flights until April 30. As there is a high possibility of the virus being spread to Nepal from India, the government has come forward with a plan to seal off the Nepal-India border. India has continued to detect an alarming number of COVID-19 cases over the last couple of weeks. More people are also dying from the virus in different parts of the southern neighbour. Keeping this in mind, the Indian government has also extended the lockdown until May 3. However, there is a likelihood of the movement of people across the long open border. Just recently, a Nepali youth, who had come to Nepal from India by crossing the border on foot during the lockdown, was found infected with the virus.

The Government of Nepal has come up with yet another vital decision to mobilise additional security personnel at the Nepal-India border points to stop the people's movement. Looking at the worsening situation in India, Nepal is not in a mood to open the border points unless and until the situation returns to normalcy there. Sealing off the border may be helpful for both the nations to contain the virus. Meanwhile, there is still a tendency among Nepalis who have returned from overseas not to show their interest in getting tested for the virus despite the government's frequent requests. Even if they do not go for testing, observing strict quarantine is a must. Infected persons might affect not only their families but also others. The local governments as well as communities must play a crucial role in identifying such persons and putting them in the virus screening process. It is time for everyone to be sensitive towards and serious about the virus and follow the lockdown and social distancing measures sincerely.