By Purushottam P. Khatri
Kathmandu, Jan. 10: Schools across the country have been recommended to give a compulsory 15-day winter vacation in the wake of the rising omicron threat, the new variant of the coronavirus in Nepal.
A meeting of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Coordination Centre (CCMCC) held on Sunday recommended the decision to the Cabinet for its approval and implementation.
As per the recommendation, schools of all types and grades have been instructed to give a winter vacation of minimum 15 days beginning from January 15, Joint Secretary and spokesperson for the CCMCC Sunita Nepal said.

Within the vacation period, the CCMCC has also suggested the guardians and students aged 12-17 years and above 18 years have been instructed to get COVID jabs. The Ministry of Health and Population and District Immunisation Coordination Committees have been advised to arrange the needed vaccines and begin administering them as a campaign.
Likewise, the CCMCC has recommended to implement the compulsory provision of carrying vaccination card or having the proof of completing the COVID-19 vaccines from the general public while visiting the public offices.

Similarly, the CCMCC has made vaccination card mandatory on domestic flights from January 17. The CCMCC has made it mandatory to minimise the rate of coronavirus infection.
Similarly, it has been made mandatory to show the vaccine card while entering offices, hotels, restaurants, cinema halls, stadiums, parks etc. The citizens can show the proof of complete vaccination through their mobile phone or any other online system while visiting the restricted areas and public places, spokesperson Nepal said. Similarly, DCCMC should coordinate to make the antigen test more effective at the entry points of Nepal and to keep those who tested positive for the virus in isolation immediately and the Ministry of Health should make arrangements to ensure the necessary resources, said the CCMC.

The CCMCC has further recommended the government to restrict the gathering of the people, mass function and political parties’ meeting exceeding 25 guests until further notice. Further, the CCMC has recommended the government to begin the purchasing process of the needed vaccines and medicines through a fast and easy procedure.

Likewise, the meeting of CCMCC recommended the government to conduct the regular and pre-scheduled annual and semester examinations of different universities and colleges in Z-shape seat planning and abide by the public health protocols compulsorily. It has recommended for making it mandatory to wear mask and use of sanitizers at the every exam centre.