Is the current prohibitory order effective or futile?

Dhangadhi: The Coronavirus pandemic has not been curbed even after the imposition of a prohibitory order due to the lack of contact tracing and isolation of Coronavirus infected people in the Far-Western region.

It has been one and a half months since the prohibitory order was issued for the prevention and control of Coronavirus in the state. However, the rate of infection has not decreased. The prohibitory order was imposed on April 29 after the coronavirus infection rate began to rise exponentially.

Although, it is essential to isolate the infected people and trace the people who came in contact with the infected people, the scope of testing has been inadequate in the Far-Western states.

In the first week of the prohibitory order, the infection rate in the state was 40%, while after a month, the infection rate dropped to 31%. A month and a half has passed since the imposition of the prohibitory order but the infection rate remains 31%, as the virus has spread to the community level, doctors suggest effective contact tracing and isolation to reduce the infection rate to zero.

Dr. Nishan Bhattarai, a physician at Seti Provincial Hospital, said that the virus could not be controlled as there are many villages infected with the virus. "There are patients of Coronavirus in every village," he said. ‘That is why the rate of infection has not come down as much as expected. '

All sectors, including markets, hotel business, and transportation, have been completely closed for a month and a half and they are suffering financially.

Minraj Joshi, president of the E-Rickshaw Association Kailali, who is also the central vice-president of the Auto, Tempo, and E-Rickshaw Association, said that the prohibitory order has hampered all entrepreneurs including hoteliers and transporters, and workers.

"Many E-rickshaw owners have complained that their batteries have been completely damaged as they had to park the E-rickshaws for more than a month, while the drivers who rent the E-rickshaw to earn a livelihood are suffering more," he said. They were unable to overcome the pain and losses caused by last year’s lockdown, and are further affected by the current prohibitory order. '

Therefore, the prohibitory order imposed in the province has not been very effective.

Last year when the pandemic broke out the state government along with the help of the police collected data of the returnees from India, ferried them to their municipalities, and traced the people who came in contact with the infected people for testing and isolation, which controlled the spread to a great extent.   

However, this year, the state government appears to be paying less attention to it, while the infection rate remains stagnant.