71 Chinese nationals employed at Pokhara Airport construction site quarantined

POKHARA, March 11: Seventy-one Chinese workers employed at the Pokhara Regional International Airport have been quarantined at the project site.

They had returned to Nepal between March 4 and 6 after celebrating Chinese New Year, according to project officials.

Even though they had certificates from Chinese authorities proving they were free of COVID-19, Gandaki Provincial Health Directorate and the project officials placed the returning Chinese nationals in self-quarantine after the Nepali workers were concerned about the possible outbreak.

China remains the hardest-hit region with more than 80,000 cases and over 3,000 deaths, out of a global total of 117,339 cases and 4,251 deaths across 107 countries and territories, according to AFP.

According to project authorities, none of them were from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Earlier, 36 Chinese nationals who had returned from China were also isolated.

As many as 190 Chinese nationals are currently working in the airport construction project, which was assigned to China CAMC Engineering in May 2014.

There are about 109 Chinese nationals employed at Hongshi Cement Factory, 38 at Nyadi Hydropower Project in Lamjung and 26 at Butwal-Narayangadh road construction project.