KATHMANDU: The Nepal government has decided to extend the suspension of all domestic and international flights till May 15 as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement of the decision was made by the High-Level Coordination Committee for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 on Saturday, The Himalayan Times reported.
Earlier, the Committee had decided to suspend domestic and international flights till April 30.
Member Secretary of the Committee Narayan Prasad Bidari told that a Cabinet meeting on Sunday would decide whether or not to extend the lockdown.
He said the Committee believed that the lockdown had largely been able to prevent the spread of COVID-19, adding that the government would carry out tracing, tracking and treatment more effectively.
Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai told The Himalayan Times that the Committee had assessed the risk of COVID-19 infection and concluded that the risk had not yet abated and hence the lockdown should not be lifted immediately.
Nepal has been under lockdown since March 24 after the second COVID-19 case was reported.
Nepal has reported 49 coronavirus cases, with no fatality.