By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Mar. 25: A joint patrolling squad of Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force (APF) took to the streets and shops in the Kathmandu Valley since early morning Tuesday to implement the lockdown enforced by the government.
“Policemen in the valley reached the main roads and core city areas, including outside the ring road by 5:00 am, suggesting all the vehicle owners and shop operators to stop operating them unless they are essential,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shyam Lal Gyawali at the Metropolitan Police Office, Ranipokhari, said.
“During our monitoring in the morning time, people were found breaching the order and we had to suggest them to stop doing so. But later on the day time, people were found abiding by the order voluntarily,” SSP Gyawali said.
Nobody was arrested in the valley for breaching the government order, he said.
During the lockdown, vehicles used by press were provided passes by the District Administration Office for their mobility. Similarly, vehicles of security bodies and health professionals and private and government offices having the CDO-issued special passes were allowed to ply without any hindrance.
Similarly, employees and vehicles of medicine shops, vegetable shops, foods carrying vehicles, drinking water, milk tankers, electricity, information and communication, customs, petroleum products, quarantine offices, and solid waste carrying vehicles were also allowed to move.
General people who don’t have their emergency works or unless it is a health emergency, they cannot come out of their homes, said joint secretary and spokesperson at the Ministry of Home Affairs Kedar Nath Sharma.
“It is the general people, who should first help the government by staying at home to contain this virus and its possible spread in our community,” he said.
He said this is not the time to show courage by coming out of home when the government has enforced the lockdown for people’s safety. “The government would not have to take any further step when people adhere to the lockdown by staying at home,” Sharma said.
What can and cannot be done during lockdown?
Curfew and lockdown are two different things and should be understood differently, according to officials at the Home Ministry.
Curfew is normally imposed by the government or local administration

offices if any immediate security threat in particular place or region is seen. But this is not the security threat but a threat imposed by the virus, which cannot be controlled by the human hand of security bodies, according to DIG Bishwa Raj Pokharel
Pokharel said lockdown was imposed across the country as per Infectious Disease Act-1964.
As per the Act, power to make special provisions like controlling human movement completely throughout the country or any part thereof to take necessary action to root out or prevent the disease and may issue necessary orders applicable to the general public or a group of any person.
According to the sub-section (1) or (2), the government may issue necessary orders for the purpose of conducting examination of any animals or birds being transported on foot or by any conveyance or of any passenger and holding any passenger by the official designated or examination in quarantine in hospital or other places where the official is doubtful that such passengers have developed any infectious disease or of inspecting or controlling the transportation or movement by any means.
Punishment
A person who violates the Act or disregards any order issued under this Act shall be liable to punishment of imprisonment for a term not exceeding a month or a fine not exceeding Rs 100 or both.
Also, a person who obstructs a person authorised under the Act with the performance of his/her duties shall be liable to punishment of imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding 600 rupees or both.
The Chief District Officer shall have powers to try and settle cases on offenses committed under the Act. The deadly virus has already spread in 193 nations across the globe and claimed more than 15,000 lives.