As the COVID-19 cases maintain a threatening surge, authorities in Nepal have decided to ground all flights, domestic and international, in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus, reported The Kathmandu Post. 

Hridayesh Tripathi, Nepal’s health minister, said, “The decision on flight restrictions are in place until May 14.” He, however, added, “Charter planes will be exempted from the ban.” The move came in addition to several restrictions the country put during the last week. 

The domestic flight ban will be effective from Monday evening while international flights will be barred from Wednesday this week. 

“The whole country is going into lockdown and the two-week circuit-breaker is a wise decision,” Birendra Bahadur Basnet, the managing director of Buddha Air, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. “We will regret it if we don’t act now,” he added.

Earlier, the government has sealed 22 land border crossing points with India. Districts along the borders were asked to step up quarantine facilities. 

The capital, Kathmandu Valley remains the worst affected, with over half of the total caseload coming from the three districts in the region. Already, a third of the total districts in Nepal are under prohibitory orders currently.