Jhapa, April 1 :  When the infection of COVID-19 has been spreading globally, a total of 569 people have been confirmed to have returned home from abroad from 22 countries. They were identified by the District Police Office, Jhapa with the help of local levels.    
Among them, 98 have been quarantined at Mechinagar, Arjundhara, Bhadrapur, Birtamod and Damak municipalities as they returned home within the past 15 days from those countries where the virus has already spread while 468 are staying at home quarantine, DPO's Superintendent of Police and Spokesperson Mahendra Kumar Shrestha said.    
Remaining three persons are in the isolation of Mechi Zonal Hospital, according to Hospital focal person Kul Bahadur Poudel.    
Many of them are from India as their number stands at 311 followed by 115 from Dubai, 78 from Qatar, nine each from Saudi Arabia and Australia, seven from Malaysia, five each from Bahrain and Hongkong and remaining others are from France, Italy, Korea, Romania, Bangladesh, Japan and the United States of America .    
Meanwhile, the Jagriti Child Rescue Center based in Mechinagar-7 has run out of food. Presently, 14 children from six to 18 years of age are taking shelter here and the food stock turned empty amidst lockdown against the disease, said center's management committee chair Arjun Devkota. ''We will not be able to feed the children from this evening if we do not get support from outside,'' he said.    
Meantime, the Buddhashanti rural municipality has managed Rs one million budget for the relief of indigent community and Rs 3.75 million to take precautionary measures against the disease, said rural municipality chair Ramesh Bhujel.    
Similarly, the Birtamod municipality has established an emergency fund of Rs five million to respond the risk posed by the virus. Mayor, deputy mayor and administrative officer are to contribute their one month's salary to the fund which will be used for managing food for those in quarantines and providing a relief to the indigent community, mayor Dhruba Shiwakoti said.