KATHMANDU, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali government Sunday decided to suspend domestic flights fully and international flights with India, South Africa and Brazil after the country reported record high COVID-19 cases on the same day, two Nepali cabinet ministers said.
"The cabinet decided to suspend all domestic flights starting from Monday midnight," Gauri Shankar Chaudhary, minister for labour, employment and social security, told Xinhua on Sunday evening. "International flights with India, South African and Brazil will be suspended from mid-night of May 5."
The Nepali government's decision came after the country's health ministry on Sunday confirmed infections for 7,211 people, a new daily record in infections since the pandemic hit the Himalayan country early last year.
"Due to current COVID-19 crisis in India, we decided to suspend flights with India for certain period," Padma Kumari Aryal, minister for agriculture and livestock development, told Xinhua on Sunday. "But, flights with South Africa and Brazil will be closed for the foreseeable future." Nepal does not have direct flights with South Africa and Brazil. So, there won't be connected flights, according to Aryal.
Aryal said flights with the countries other than aforementioned three countries would continue on condition that necessary health protocols are followed.
Nepal witnessed less than 100 cases for most of the days in March but saw continuous rise of cases since April with over 7,000 cases reported on Sunday for the first time.
The Nepali government has also imposed lockdown in Kathmandu Valley starting from April 29 and prohibitory orders have been issued in different parts of the country.
In order to address the human resource crisis, the Nepal's health ministry on Sunday decided to ask medical colleges to mobilize their faculty members and students for the treatment of patients in different hospitals.
