Kathmandu: Nepal has barred foreigners from using Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) as transit following the second wave of Covid-19 that has started taking a toll on the country’s health system.
Issuing a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Immigration said the ban will be effective indefinitely starting on Tuesday midnight.
The Department clarified that there will be no restrictions on passengers arriving in Nepal as the final destination and those leaving Nepal.
The move follows after Indian nationals started making Nepal a transit point for Gulf countries.
According to TIA Office, around 7,500 Indian nationals traveled Gulf countries making Nepal transit in the last 25 days.
The number of people coming to Nepal from India and heading to Saudi Arabia from Nepal is the highest. Saudi Arabia has stopped direct flights to India due to surging coronavirus cases.
However, it has allowed people from other countries to arrive with 14-day mandatory quarantine.
According to the airport office, 5,630 Indians have reached Saudi Arabia from Nepal alone in 25 days. In addition, 175 Indians have arrived in Nepal from Saudi Arabia.
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