By Dhirendra Prasad Shah, Rajbiraj, May 18: The number of Nepalis entering home from accross the border with India has been increasing daily after India brought its railway service into operation.

As the Nepali students, labourers and businessmen who had been residing in various parts of India have started returning their home, the risk of COVID-19 spread has increased here.

Also, it has been difficult for security workers to manage the entrants in quarantine.

As people have been crossing the border at any time during morning, evening, afternoon and night, the Tilathi Koiladi Rural Municipality of Saptari has been actively working for effective management of the returnees by recording their travel history and personal details.

Rural Municipality Chair, Sati Kumar Singh, said, "We are setting up a temporary rest house at Belahi (Kunauli customs) in the border area to provide the Nepalis returning from India with food."

"All the details of the returnees including their name, address, contact number, the group they've come with will be recorded at the rest house itself," said Singh.

He added that the returnees would be sent to the quarantines in their respective municipalities after the health workers test their temperature.

Ramesh Kumar Jha, officer of the Crisis Management Committee of the Rural Municipality, said that the rest house was being set up to prevent returnees from facing difficulties of any sort.  

"If any of the entrants is suspected to have been infected with COVID-19, his/her swab sample would be collected immediately for PCR test," said Jha.

He said that tests of other returnees would be done after they complete their quarantine period.

After operation of railways in India, as many as 500 Nepalis have entered Saptari from main entry points. They have been kept in quarantines at Tilathi Kolaidi Rural Municipality, Balanbihul Rural Municipality, Hanumanagar Kankalini Municipality and Chinnamasta Rural Municipality, informed Duniyalal Yadav, Chief of Saptari Health Office.

Yadav said that the returnees would be sent home if they tested negative for the virus after completion of quarantine period.

"Until now, PCR test have been conducted on 20-25 COVID-19 suspects. All of them tested negative for the virus. However, they're still being kept in quarantine," said Yadav.

Residents of Siraha, Udayapur and Sunsari have been entering Nepal from border points in Saptari district.