Nepal begins parliament session amid COVID-19 lockdown

By Deepak Adhikari

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AA) - Nepal on Friday began a new session of its parliament as the country entered the 46th day of a nationwide lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus.

The government is scheduled to endorse its policy and program as well as the fiscal budget in the session, which saw masked lawmakers trying to observe social distancing by leaving several empty seats between them.

On Thursday, health workers took swab samples of lawmakers to conduct lab tests for COVID-19 as a precautionary measure. But the move came under fire due to a shortage of testing kits in the country.

Speaking at the session on Friday, Sher Bahadur Deuba, a former Prime Minister and opposition party leader, said the communist government has "completely failed to tackle the health crisis."

"The government has neither provided food to thousands of workers stranded in the cities nor has it allowed them to go home. Those who lost their jobs due to coronavirus have not been given any relief package," Deuba said.

According to authorities, the total number of COVID19 in Nepal reached 102 after a 16-year-old man tested positive in a district bordering India.

On Wednesday, the government extended the nationwide lockdown until May 18 and eased restrictions for commercial and farming activities.

There has been no death reported from the coronavirus in the country, but experts fear the rising number of cases will overwhelm the country's poor health care system.