US pledges USD 1.8 million assistance to Nepal to fight coronavirus

Kathmandu: The US has pledged to provide USD 1.8 million to Nepal to prevent and combat the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic.

Nepal has had just one confirmed case of coronavirus, but it is at risk due to its location between China and India.

Of the total funds pledged by the US, around USD 1.1 million will scale up existing USAID health programs in Nepal to educate communities on COVID-19 prevention and to counter misinformation regarding the virus, states a US Embassy press release.

The remaining USD 700,000 will support ongoing preparedness and response activities in Nepal implemented through the World Health Organization, the press release adds.

Amid novel coronavirus outbreak fear, Nepal’s Public Service Commission (PSC) has postponed all the scheduled written examinations of civil services, security bodies and various government bodies.

The Nepal government is set to introduce a new system that requires every hotel across the country to submit details of their foreign guests to the government.

An electronic tracking system is being developed for this purpose, according to officials.

The Department of Tourism asked the hotels of various categories to submit check-in and check-out times, next and previous destinations among others. The government hopes that such details will help the government analyze the risk of coronavirus infection in the country.

More than a million jobs are generated by tourism in Nepal, according to the World Tourism and Travel Council.

The department has also urged all hotels to follow coronavirus prevention guidelines and notices issued by the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health and Population, Nepal.