April 26: A task force formed by the High Level Coordination Committee to Control and Prevent Coronavirus has recommended the committee to extend the lockdown by a week.

The government had imposed the lockdown for the first time on March 24 to prevent the spread of coronavirus. After extension twice, the current lockdown is expiring on Monday (April 27).

A meeting of the task force headed by Chief Secretary Lok Darshan Regmi on Saturday recommended the full committee to extend the lockdown by another week.

Coordinator of the High Level Committee Ishwar Pokharel presented the  recommendation of the task force to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli the same day.

The task force has recommended extending the lockdown while relaxing the rules in some places with low risk of infection. A cabinet meeting scheduled later on Sunday (today) will take a formal decision regarding the lockdown.

The committee reviewed the lockdown from different angles, informed Narayan Prasad Bidari, secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

The government has been extending the lockdown after growing number of cases of coronavirus were reported in the country in recent days. Lockdown has proven to be effective to control the spread of coronavirus across the globe.

As of Saturday, the confirmed cases of coronavirus has reached 49 in the country. Out of them, 12 patients have returned home after recovery, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.