By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Sept. 11: After the easing of lockdown in the Kathmandu Valley from Thursday, the government officials and the general public have said the individuals themselves must remain aware and cautious to avoid possible transmission of the coronavirus.
"It is now the responsibility of the public or individuals to maintain social distance, use face masks and sanitizer whenever and wherever they tend to go and come out of their homes," Janak Raj Dahal, Chief District Officer, of Kathmandu, said on Thursday.
Following Wednesday's meeting, public vehicles and shops in Kathmandu have come into operation. Private vehicles have also started plying by following the odd-even number system from Thursday.
Although the government has floated an idea of opening shops and businesses of different natures by specifying the days, people coming out of their homes should compulsorily maintain social distance, wear mask and sanitize places before using them, CDO Dahal said.
Analysing the situation report of the Valley, the meeting of DAOs held on Wednesday took the decision to relax the nature of complete lockdown, he said. The government had, however, started allowing the takeaway, home delivery services and plying of construction materials carrying vehicles from September 3 before the lockdown was eased.
The DAOs meeting on Wednesday also gave permission to private and public vehicles to ply by maintaining odd-even number system. The government has given permission to public vehicles which have more than 16 seats to ply but they can carry passengers only half of their seat capacity. Microbuses and auto rickshaws have not been given permission to come to the roads yet.
Meanwhile, Narayan Prasad Bhatta, Chief District Officer of Lalitpur, said the DAOs on Wednesday took the decision to ease the lockdown in the valley to bring the economic activities and general public's life to normalcy.
The present modality adopted in the valley will help bring all types of life of the general public, industrialists, and businessmen to a normal condition, he said.
But those who don't abide by the conditions and health protocols of the government would be taken stern legal action thereafter under two separate laws of Infectious Disease Act and Local Administration Act, he said.
Dr. Rabindra Pandey, public health expert, said the decision of the DAO was positive but doing so the government has passed the ball to the court of the citizens.
"Now, citizens must be aware and stay alert from possible transmission of the virus," Dr. Pandey said.
"As we cannot identify the infected people just by watching their faces, so we must develop a habit of carrying home-made foods and drinking water, use masks every time rather than visiting hotels and restaurants," he said.
Meanwhile, Komal Shakya, a local resident of Basantapur Ward No. 23 in Kathmandu, said that virus transmission risk would now be doubled when people start opening their respective offices and businesses.
“People with or without jobs cannot stay just inside their homes every day and continuously imposed complete lockdown has started hitting the public’s life hard when they went cashless and are left without any option,” she said.
Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police and chief at Metropolitan Police Traffic Division Bhim Dhakal said that as of 4:00 pm, the Division had impounded 446 vehicles for violating the odd-even number system and put them on hold for two hours. Of the impounded vehicles, 436 were two wheelers and 91 four wheelers.