With the fear of the spread of coronavirus after the detection of the second positive case in Nepal and growing cases of COVID-19 in India, all economic and political activities has come to a halt. Moreover, with the clamping of lockdown from Tuesday morning life across country came to standstill.
Prior to the detection of the second case on Monday, many leaders had started living indoors. Nepal Communist Party chair Pushpa Kamal Daha and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba had limited their activities in their homes.
Nepali Congress postponed its active member distribution programme citing the COVID-19 fear, which is likely to affect its 14th general convention scheduled for next year. Likewise, the convention of the Nepal Press Union was put off.
The government had already canceled the much-talked-about Sagarmatha Sambad, while Secondary Education Examination, a crucial exam in one’s life was put off just hour before it was begun. Universities and Public Service Commission also postponed their exams.
Worst hit was the economic sectors with the closure of hotels, restaurants, market places, airlines and industries in home and spread of the disease in the Middle East, Malaysia and Korea, the key destination countries of Nepali migrant workers, which will cause a fall in remittance. With the closures of businesses many people have lost their jobs. The daily wage earners have been hit the hardest after the lockdown.
And with India imposing a total lockdown for 21 days effective from Tuesday night, lockdown in Nepal is also like to extend, inviting more problems to the national economy.
Reproduced from People’s Review
