The government has decided to relax lockdown in three stages.
The Cabinet meeting Wednesday night has taken the decision to that regard on recommendation of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Center (CCMC). The first stage starting from Thursday will apply for 21 days and the next two stages for 15 days each.
The government will take stock of situation after completion of all three stages and then open all sectors. This means that it will take at least 51 more days for complete end of lockdown. The government can make necessary changes if the situation worsens in the intervening period.
All kinds of essential services, and agricultural sector will be opened adopting appropriate safety measures and social distancing in the first stage. Development-construction works and factories will also be opened. Restaurants can provide takeaways and banks and financial institutions will also be opened while other government and private offices can operate with 50 percent of staffers.
The government will take stock of situation after 21 days and will implement the second stage if situation is favorable.
Government offices, nongovernmental organizations, private organizations and banks and financial institutions will operate with 75 percent of staffers in the second stage. Electric rickshaws can operate with one passenger in one row, taxis with two passengers, and restaurants and eateries with a distance of at least two meters between the tables in the second stage.
The government will take stock of situation after 15 days and will implement the third stage if situation is favorable.
Government offices, nongovernmental organizations, private organizations and banks and financial institutions can operate in the third stage. Inter-district transportation can also be allowed if there are less than 100 active cases in the districts concerned. All kinds of vehicles with 50 percent of seating capacity, domestic flights, hotels, lodges, resorts, travel agencies, trekking, mountaineering will be operated in the third stage while booking of international flights will also be allowed. Training and tuition centers will be opened while educational institutions will also be opened for examinations.