By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 19: The government has decided to conduct a mass inoculation drive against COVID-19 by making schools as centres from January 30 to February 3.
“A five-day vaccination campaign against COVID-19 will be launched in most of the schools across the country to immunise as many people as possible to save them from the pandemic,” Joint Secretary and spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs Pradip Kumar Koirala said.

The decision was made at a meeting held at the Ministry on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand in an effort to make the vaccination against the disease more effective.

The meeting attended by the concerned officials from the line ministries made various decisions and recommended the concerned ministries for the effective implementation of the recommendations made by the COVID-19 Crisis Management Coordination Centre (CCMCC).

The CCMCC has decided to make it mandatory for the general public to carry the vaccine card with them while entering public places from January 21 onwards. Discussions have also been held to administer a booster dose to the target group.

Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Tek Narayan Pandey, Secretary of the Ministry of Health Dr. Roshan Pokhrel, Inspector General of Nepal Police Shailesh Thapa Kshetri, IGP of Armed Police Force Shailendra Khanal, Director General of Health Services Dr. Dipendra Raman Singh, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education Hari Lamsal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism Buddhisagar Lamichhane and others attended the meeting.

“We will open the schools just for vaccination purpose and no academic activities will be held for the stated period,” Joint Secretary for the Education Ministry Lamsal said after the meeting.
Similarly, the meeting has also decided to conduct the university-level examinations complying with the health safety measures strictly, to allow the COVID-19-infected students to take their exams by arranging a separate place and seat plan. The circular to this notice will be sent by the Education Ministry to the universities.

The meeting also asked those traveling by air to mandatorily show their vaccination cards at the time of ticketing. Online ticket sellers have also been asked to make it mandatory to attach the cards.

E-passport, national ID issuance halted
Similarly, the meeting has decided to ask the concerned body to suspend the issuance of national identity card and e-passport for the time being.
“It has been decided to postpone the issuance of national identity card and e-passport for the time being except for those who are in urgent need,” said Joint Secretary Koirala.

What’s more, the meeting decided to make arrangements for vaccination of the general public against COVID-19 from Nepal Police and Armed Police Hospital.
It has been decided to conduct antigen tests at the entry point to Nepal for those coming from abroad and to make arrangements for the unvaccinated to get jabbed. The meeting further directed to make arrangements for foreign nationals residing in Nepal.

During the meeting, Home Minister Khand said that the government was serious about preventing and controlling the pandemic.