BAITADI : Baitadi’s Purchaudi municipality has been sealed off for an indefinite period following a coronavirus related death. An emergency meeting presided over by the deputy mayor of the municipality, Janaki Eir (Bam) on Sunday decided to seal off the municipality area until other arrangements are made.
The meeting took the decision to shut down all services of the government and non-government offices excluding health services for an indefinite period effective from September 27. Chief Administrative Officer Hari Bahadur Chand shared that all schools, financial institutions and community schools operational in the municipality have remained closed in view of the virus’s rapid transmission.
“All types of trade, business and transportation service have also been closed. We have also restricted the movement from one ward to another,” he added. The 29-year-old man of Purchaudi-3 who was returning from Bangalore, India was found dead at local Lamadhar on Friday before reaching his home. The man had tested positive for coronavirus in a lab test carried out on Saturday.
The municipality also decided to track people who came in contact with him. He had left Bangalore for home six days ago and entered via Gaurifanta checkpoint of Kailali. Purchaudi has recorded 20 coronavirus cases, with eight currently active.
In view of the fear of coronavirus transmission, the schools here have been shut down again. The schools which had remained closed for a long time had resumed their classes since September 23, shared municipality’s Education Section Chief Dinesh Nagari. He added, “Schools have also remained closed with the municipality’s decision to seal off the operation of all services.”
Quarantine centres and isolation wards were set up in 39 out of 75 community schools of Purchaudi. Around 14,000 students are studying in 75 community and three institutional schools of the municipality. As of now, 403 people have contracted the coronavirus in Baitadi district.
