Katmandu: Nepal’s capital shut schools, ordered citizens to carry vaccination cards in public, banned religious festivals and instructed hotel guests to be tested every three days as it battles its biggest COVID-19 outbreak.
The chief government administrator of Katmandu issued a notice on Friday saying all people must carry their vaccination cards when they are in public areas or shop in stores.
Nepal, however, has only fully vaccinated 41 percent of its population. The notice did not say how unvaccinated people will be able to pay utility bills or shop for groceries.
The government says it has enough vaccines in stock, but a new wave of COVID-19 cases propelled by the omicron variant has created long lines at vaccination centers, with many people unable to receive shots.
All public gatherings and meetings will be banned and cinemas and theaters will be closed. Gymnasiums, pools and other sporting venues will also be shut. No public religious festivals or events will be allowed, the notice said. It did not say how long the restrictions would last.
Authorities also halted in-person classes at all schools and indefinitely postponed university examinations.
Wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing in public will be mandatory. Only 20 customers at a time will be allowed in shopping malls and department stores, and all must carry vaccination cards. Employees will be given regular antigen tests to be allowed to work.
Restaurants and hotels can remain open, but employees must wear face masks and other protection. Hotel guests must take antigen tests every three days.
The government is also limiting road traffic, with bans on alternating days for vehicles with odd or even license plates.
The notice said violators will be punished, but did not elaborates. An existing law relating to pandemics says violators can be jailed for a month.
The Health Ministry reported a record 12,338 new cases on Thursday and 11,352 on Wednesday, compared to a few hundred daily cases last month.
Nepal had full lockdowns in 2020 and again from late April to Sept. 1, 2021.
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Nepal imposes tough restrictions as COVID-19 cases set record
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Nepal imposes tough restrictions as COVID-19 cases set record
- Authorities also halted in-person classes at all schools and indefinitely postponed university examinations
US ‘leading the fight’ against Southeast Asian scam compounds, FBI official says
BANGKOK: A senior FBI official said on Tuesday that the United States was “committed to leading the fight” against multi-billion dollar Southeast Asian fraud factories targeting Americans.
Scott Schelble, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s International Operations Division, was speaking at a press briefing after traveling to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, where he visited several scam centers.
“It is impossible to fully grasp the magnitude of these operations until you see them yourself,” he said, referring to “industrial-scale” Chinese-led fraud factories that have proliferated across the region.
“Criminals should not believe that borders will protect them if they target Americans,” he said. “We know where you are and we are coming for you.”
* Chinese organized crime syndicates are targeting Americans with scams “every day” through “sophisticated, well-resourced criminal enterprises that exploit borders, technology, and vulnerable people to generate enormous profits,” Schelble said.
* The groups are “not bound by laws or geographical borders” and operate with “a degree of impunity because they take advantage of countries’ respective laws,” he said.
* The FBI has deployed agents to work with Thai police on a joint anti-scam taskforce which has disrupted networks, identified victims, and targeted supporting financial infrastructure, Schelble said.
* The FBI has partnered with Cambodian police in the past and hopes to leverage previous success to cooperate on scam compounds, he said, adding that he also had “fruitful discussions” with Vietnam.
* Scam centers are a regional issue and require regional cooperation, Schelble said. “The key is to make each area an inhospitable place for these compounds to operate.”
Scott Schelble, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s International Operations Division, was speaking at a press briefing after traveling to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, where he visited several scam centers.
“It is impossible to fully grasp the magnitude of these operations until you see them yourself,” he said, referring to “industrial-scale” Chinese-led fraud factories that have proliferated across the region.
“Criminals should not believe that borders will protect them if they target Americans,” he said. “We know where you are and we are coming for you.”
* Chinese organized crime syndicates are targeting Americans with scams “every day” through “sophisticated, well-resourced criminal enterprises that exploit borders, technology, and vulnerable people to generate enormous profits,” Schelble said.
* The groups are “not bound by laws or geographical borders” and operate with “a degree of impunity because they take advantage of countries’ respective laws,” he said.
* The FBI has deployed agents to work with Thai police on a joint anti-scam taskforce which has disrupted networks, identified victims, and targeted supporting financial infrastructure, Schelble said.
* The FBI has partnered with Cambodian police in the past and hopes to leverage previous success to cooperate on scam compounds, he said, adding that he also had “fruitful discussions” with Vietnam.
* Scam centers are a regional issue and require regional cooperation, Schelble said. “The key is to make each area an inhospitable place for these compounds to operate.”
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