Decisions of the High-Level Coordination Committee for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 formed under the convenorship of Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Defense Mr Ishwar Pokharel: 25-03-2020

1. Resume import and export of goods from Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani border crossing points with China by following the health protocol of the Ministry of Health and Population and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance shall make necessary coordination regarding this matter.

2. Continue operation of essential banking services in the coordination of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Finance.

3. Continue operation of the vehicles that deliver medicines, food items, water, milk, fruits, vegetables, livestock and fishery feeds, baby chicks, and return back. Such vehicles shall not be allowed to carry passengers.

4. Concerned companies shall arrange means of transportation for the workers involved in the production of medicine or bottling of gas to commute to and from the work. Ministry of Home Affairs shall issue necessary permits for such means of transportation.

5. Big food stores and shops shall arrange home delivery of necessary food items. For this, Ministry of Home Affairs shall issue permits to the limited number of vehicles.

6. Local levels shall facilitate the operation of shops at ward level that sell milk, vegetables, fruits and other food items ensuring that there is no crowd, people use masks and sanitizer and maintain physical distance between costumers.

7. In case there is an urgent need to transport food grains, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies in coordination shall make arrangements for air shipment of such items.

8. In order to encourage the use of induction stove, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies in coordination shall arrange rebate in electricity and customs tariffs.

9. Facilitate the return of foreign nationals that are in Nepal with the approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and are stuck at various places to their respective countries via Tribhuvan International Airport after airlifting them to Kathmandu. If the flight time of these foreign nationals is yet to be fixed, they shall be put in quarantine at hotels near the airport at their own cost during the waiting period.

10. Local levels shall update daily within each ward under their jurisdiction the records, including health details, of the persons coming from third countries and India. The Local Health Coordinator shall submit daily the details of persons with symptoms of COVID-19 to the Chief District Officer. The Chief District Officer shall send such details to National Emergency Operation Center and the Center shall send daily to National Emergency Health Operation Center by 6 p.m. in the evening.

11. Provinces and Local Levels shall arrange quarantines and operate them.

12. Ministry of Communication and Information Technology shall arrange to install four-digit toll free telephone services at the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Population.