June 22: The district administration offices in the Kathmandu Valley have eased the lockdown enforced to contain the second wave of coronavirus. Government authorities have enforced odd-even number rule for private vehicles and cabs while certain days have been fixed for opening shops.
A joint meeting of the chief district officers from Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktpur issued the order in this regard.
CDO of Kathmandu Kali Prasad Parajuli informed that the prohibitory order was eased to make commercial sector active. The latest order has come into effect from today (June 22) and will remain in force till midnight of June 28. Light vehicles such as car, jeep and van are not allowed to carry more than four persons while taxis can carry three passengers. Departmental stores (except grocery), shopping malls, sports shops, cloth and fancy-dress stores, tailoring shops, cosmetics and gift shops are allowed to open for three days- Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:00am to 4:00pm.
The jewelry shops as well as shops selling pots and kitchen utensil, electric goods, auto parts, and automobile showroom are allowed to run their businesses on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00am to 4:00pm. Shops selling hardwares, sanitary goods, tiles, marbles, furniture, and carpets can operate every day from 11:00am to 6:00pm.
Meanwhile, transportation of large delivery is allowed only during night.
Government authorities have allowed medical stores and pharmaceuticals to run daily as usual. Similarly, grocery stores as well as shops selling diary products, vegetables and fruits, stationery shops among others are allowed to open till 11:00am every day. Online and take-away services can operate till 7:00pm in the valley. The autmobile repair workshops can run till 7:00pm.
Marriage ceremonies can be performed at home by maintaining health and safety measures and without exceeding 10 attendants. For this, no more than two vehicles are allowed.
Vehicles providing essential service such as transportation of hospital staff, ambulance service, drinking water, cargo and courier, garbage management can be operated daily without any hindrance.
Schools are not still allowed to run classes physically. Transportation of vegetables, fruits, dairy products, poultry, fuel, gas, sanitary goods, printing and agricultural inputs can operate using banners. Such vehicles are allowed to operate from 8:00am to 11:00pm.
People preparing to go abroad are allowed to enter the three districts of the valley by showing their plane tickets, passport and visa. The district authorities have also allowed banking and financial institutes, security service providers, insurance companies, remittance, cooperative, NGOs to operate with minimum human resources.
