1.    The central lab at Sukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital in Kathmandu is the only facility in Nepal to test COVID-19 infection. 

2.    Government has suspended visa-on-arrival for citizens from China, Iran, Italy, Korea, Japan, France, Germany, and Spain. Visitors from these countries also need to produce latest health certificate to come and they can enter the country only through the Tribhuvan International Airport. 

3.    International travelers are individually scrutinized at the TIA.

4.    Health Minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal has asked people to ‘self-quarantine’ as per WHO recommendation, stating that the government cannot manage enough quarantine facilities for everyone. 

5.    Government has assigned 155 isolated beds in the Kathmandu Valley in 36 different hospitals, coordinated by seven ‘hub’ hospitals: Tribhuvan Army Hospital, TU Teaching Hospital, Bhaktapur Hospital, Bir Hospital, Civil Hospital, Patan Hospital, and Dhulikhel Hospital.

6.    Cabinet has met four times on infection preparedness since the outbreak in Wuhan (till we went to press). An all-party meeting was also held. 

7.    A government focal body headed by deputy prime minister has been formed. Ministers for home affairs, education, health, tourism, industry, and finance are members.

8.    In the provinces, a body chaired by the concerned chief minister or their representative will work as the focal body. Local elected officials will work as coordinators at local levels.

9.    People have been asked to avoid mass meetings, conferences, and celebrations involving crowds

10.    There are total 31,592 health professionals across Nepal under the Health Ministry, in addition to 52,000 women health workers.