The Nepal’s government, Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) states that the cases of Covid 19 in Nepal remains relatively low in spite of insufficient health centers, including low numbers of tests, shortage of testing kits, and public protecting equipments (PPE) for the health workers. At present Nepal has received logistical supports from the World Bank, India and China. The spread of COVID-19 cases are having very negative impacts on our economy because of nationwide lockdowns, shutdowns of airports, transportations, industries, hotels, restrictions on international travels through roads and airlines and also low remittances sent by foreign migrant workers. After the Covid 19 outbreaks, remittances sent by Nepali migrants are highly reduced mainly from the workers in India, Middle East, Malaysia and South Korea but our government has not been able to provide timely responses and supports to them in this crisis situation. Government authorities requested people residing overseas to remain in their host international countries in which they are currently living and working. With the closing of the international travels many who wish to come back don’t have any alternatives but to stay there.
Although late, it is a good decision made by the government that it will allow them to return who are in real difficulties and wish to come back with their own expenses and have to live in quarantines for few weeks after their arrival. But proper arrangements need to be made on these plans. However the matters with Nepali migrants in India are different because of our long shared open borders. After India declared a complete lockdown thousands of Nepali migrant workers are traveling on roads to enter Nepal from border checkpoints, however they have been stopped by the authorities at the Nepali sides. Due to lack of the quarantine facilities on the border checkpoints, these people have been waiting to reach their homes. Despite of Social distancing and lockdowns there have been panic and fear over the risk and spread of the pandemic from border points to Nepal. Nepal’s GDP basically depends on agriculture and the service sectors and low on industrial areas which means, Nepal by only its own capacity will have difficulties in basic goods like foods and medicines. These lockdowns which are running for over 2 months have mostly effected to the people who depend on daily wages labors, small shops and businesses whose financial incomes are low. Thus considering their vast financial hardship of these people and overall low economy of the nation, government immediately need to seek other alternatives and better modalities to control the outbreaks. Expanding the rapid tests of the virus to large population in affected areas should be done immediately.
