By Deepak Gyawali, Butwal, May 12: As the trend of sneaking into Nepal from India through open borders have been increasing and thus giving rise to threat of COVID-19 spread, various local levels at the borders have started rescuing stranded Nepalis from main entry points of the border beteween Nepal and India.

Ishwari Adhikari, Police Inspector at Area Police Office, Belahiya, said that around 2,000 Nepalis may have been stranded at Sunauli border point alone.

The local levels, after managing quarantine facilities and PCR testing centers, started rescuing the stranded Nepalis to avoid their stealthy entry.

Uma Shankar Chaudhary, Chief of Health Division under State 2 Ministry of Social Development, said that the number of people staying in quarantines set up by local levels in state 2 would increase.

Until now, 5,574 people have stayed in quarantine in State 2.

Meanwhile, the local levels have said that they had been monitoring the border areas strictly.

Various local levels have deployed health volunteers along with the security officials.

The COVID-19 tally in state 2 has reached 70 until now. 17 persons of the state tested positive for the virus on Tuesday itself.

The initial information has revealed that all of them had sneaked into Nepal from Mumbai of India.

Rajendra Giri, head of District Health Office, said that all the COVID-19 patients of Rupandehi who were confirmed to have been infected by the virus today were from Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality.

All of them were staying at the quarantine set up by the Municipality at Lumbini Bouddha University, after entering Nepal on May 6.

Giri said that they had returned to their homes without staying in quarantine. We brought them back in quarantine after the locals complained, he added.

All nine COVID-19 patients of Rupandehi confirmed today are from 17-40 years of age.

Preparations are underway to send them to Butwal-based Corona Special Hospital.

Also, Chaudhary said that all eight COVID-19 patients of Kapilvastu confirmed today were from Kapilvastu Municipality-5. They had sneaked into Nepal on May 5 and 6 from Mumbai and New Delhi via Maryadpur border point.

They were sent to the quarantine by locals. They will also be sent to Butwal after initial consultation.