By Purushottam P. Khatri
Kathmandu, June 20: A meeting of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) Directive Committee Friday decided to recommend the government for releasing Rs. 350 million for establishing additional quarantines and isolation wards up to the local levels
A meeting of the committee held at Singha Durbar this evening recommended the government to release the required budget to the State governments and the State governments to the local bodies, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali told the media after the meeting.
The amount would be released from the federal government’s COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Fund to all State governments, according to Minister Gyawali.
Minister Gyawali also said that the CCMC meeting gave the responsibility of further improving the condition of the quarantines, and monitoring and facilitating authority to the State governments.
Responsibility of proper management of isolation centres was also given to the States governments, he said.
The meeting also decided to allow the migrant workers to fly to the countries where they were working or had applied for jobs. They were unable to reach their destinations due to restriction in international flights from Nepal. However, such migrant workers need to seek approval to fly abroad from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, according to Minister Gyawali.
Likewise, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology was given the authority to issue approval to the students aspiring to go abroad in student visa.
The meeting further allowed the family members of diplomatic missions to go abroad by arranging necessary protocols.
Similarly, the meeting gave authority to the respective districts or region to clamp prohibition order in case the COVID-19 situation worsens there.
Minister Gyawali said that the CCMC had directed the Ministry of Health and Population to manage special treatment for the differently-able children and senior citizens
Similarly, the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens was given the responsibility of arranging food and shelter in the quarantines and isolations centres operated under the federal government, said Minister Gyawali.