By Our Correspondent
Bhairahawa, Dec. 11: The movement of the people and vehicles in Belahiya checkpoint along Nepal-India border has been tightened further with the surge of Omicron virus, the new variant of the coronavirus.
At present, Nepalis and Indians coming from India have been allowed to enter Nepal only after going through the health check-up, said Rupandehi Chief District Officer Krishna Ram Tiwari.
"A few days ago, we had decided to hold a meeting of all the security agencies and other stakeholders and adopt vigilance at the border to prevent the infection of the new variant,” CDO Tiwari said.

The Belahiya checkpoint of Rupandehi is the biggest checkpoint for the arrival of Indians and Nepalis from land route.
CDO Tiwari said that special precautions have been taken at Belahiya border and other border points of Rupandehi.
"Special attention has been paid to monitoring foreign nationals as well as tightening checks," he said. Tourists from Nepal, India, Australia, Netherlands, China and other countries enter Nepal through Belahiya.

Chief of the Health Office, Rajendra Giri, said that the use of masks and sanitizers in the border areas has been made compulsory and the details of completely vaccinated and one-time vaccinated people have been kept as record. Those who have not been vaccinated have been ordered to go under rapid antigen test, said Giri.

Giri said that two doses of vaccine have been administered to the locals above 18 years of age in Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City, Tilottama and Devdaha municipalities, Omsatiya and Rohini rural Municipalities.
He said that two doses of vaccine would be given in other 11 municipalities of the district as well. About 60 per cent of the citizens in Rupandehi has so far been administered with two doses of the vaccine and 50 per cent of the population has been provided with single dose.

Citizens in the border area will be treated in coordination with the Provincial Public Health Laboratory and National Laboratory if they test positive for antigen test.
Omicron has been listed as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to the Public Health Office, 558 deaths have been reported from COVID-19 in the district so far.