After detection of coronavirus cases at the community level, Birgunj Metropolis of Parsa district announced to decree curfew indefinitely effective from Saturday, in an attempt to contain further spread of the novel virus.

Nine more persons were detected with the coronavirus infection in Parsa district on Friday evening. Assistant Chief District Officer of Parsa, Lalit Kumar Basnet, said majority of them had no travel history whatsoever.

Similarly, a prohibitory order has been imposed in Rajbiraj of Saptari after community transmission of the virus was reportedly detected in the area.

Three districts — Rautahat, Kailali and Bajura — have over 500 active COVID cases each, whereas six districts — Bhojpur, Panchthar, Sankhuwasabha, Rasuwa, Manang and Mustang — have no active case of coronavirus infection.

The WHO’s guidelines state that “community transmission is evidenced by the inability to relate confirmed cases through chains of transmission for a large number of cases”.

The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division under the Ministry of Health and Population has warned that the coronavirus cases could spread quickly in multiple places at once if safety measures are defied as dozens of people without any travel history to disease-hit areas or close contact with infected persons have been found infected with COVID-19 in some districts.

Three deaths were reported from Parsa, Sunsari and Saptari districts in the last three days.

In recent days, cases are being reported from the communities, those who have tested positive are symptomatic, and more people testing positive are dying.

Due to the government’s hasty decision to end the nationwide lockdown at once, the spread of COVID-19 can explode in several places at once, according to Dr Baburam Marasini, former director at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.

Virologists have long been arguing that the government needs to listen to doctors and experts, and acknowledge the evidence of community transmission.