By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Aug. 12: The public health specialists have criticised the decision of three Chief District Officers (CDOs) of Kathmandu Valley to restrict vehicular movement post 8:00 pm from today, stating that preventing crowding only in the evening was not enough to curb the spread of novel coronavirus.

Dr. Santa Kumar Das, COVID-19 coordinator of TU Teaching Hospital, said that imposing prohibitions only during the nighttime cannot contain the spread of the virus. "This decision of three CDOs of the Valley does not have any scientific basis," he added.

"The major reasons behind the increase in COVID-19 cases are unnecessary crowding, not using masks appropriately, and neglecting public health standards. Thus, the concerned authorities should rather be paying attention to these issues," said Dr. Das.

Dr. Das said that allowing the movement of public transport with no implementation of safety protocols during the daytime and restricting movement after 8:00 pm didn’t make any sense. "Ensuring strict surveillance over public vehicles is vital in controlling COVID-19," he said.  

Similarly, public health specialist Dr. Sagar Kumar Rajbhandari, said, "As dance bars, clubs and other entertainment hubs causing crowding of people are already shut, preventing vehicular movement during the night will not help much in limiting the spread of the virus."

People's crowds are seen especially during the daytime. The COVID-19 infection rate has been on the rise lately due to people's negligence in abiding by the public health standards, said Dr. Rajbhandari.

He added, "Rather than preventing movement of public and private vehicles during the nighttime, the regulatory authorities should focus on regulating people's activities during the daytime."

"Services from the government offices, especially land revenue office and transportation office among others, should be provided via electronic mediums," said Dr. Rajbhandari.

Meanwhile, Bhaktapur CDO Prem Prasad Bhattarai said that they were compelled to impose restrictions on people's movement after 8:00 pm as the hotels were in operation despite the ongoing prohibitory order.

Responding to the question of the spread of the virus could be controlled by imposing restrictions only during the night, CDO Bhattarai said, "Restrictions only during the night is definitely not enough. But as there are many daily wage earners whose income would be impacted if the prohibition is imposed during the day, we could not shut all sectors at once."

Bhattarai said that as the infection rate was increasing daily, prohibition could be imposed at any time.