Location: Nepal Countrywide
Event: COVID-19 Response
Good day to all on this 42nd day of the government lockdown in Nepal. We have said this repeatedly, but as a reminder, all U.S. citizens still in Nepal should shelter in place, observing Government of Nepal announcements and regulations as long as the countrywide lockdown is in effect. Per government announcements, the lockdown will continue until at least the evening of Thursday, May 7. We expect that Nepal Government officials will meet the day or two before May 7 to discuss whether the lockdown will be extended, modified, or lifted.
In our last message, we described possible seat availability on a flight bound for Paris. At that time there had been a proposal to allow passengers to deplane in Doha and connect with Qatar Airways flights bound for other destinations. However, that proposal did not come to pass. In fact, as the flight was anticipated to be completely full, there were no available seats for the French Embassy to offer to U.S. citizens trying to return to the U.S.
The Embassy continues to monitor the situation for U.S. citizens in Nepal. We understand there are a number of citizens whose situation places them in a more vulnerable position vis-à-vis the Coronavirus, so we have prioritized these travelers for the very few seats that may become available on flights. We had been hopeful that an Australia bound flight tentatively scheduled for May 15 might provide an opportunity for dozens of U.S. citizens to return to the U.S. through Sydney. However, due to the weaker than expected demand for that flight, discussions about its being confirmed have been discontinued. An earlier Australia bound flight scheduled for May 6 is currently looking to be full, and therefore not likely to have any seat availability for U.S. citizens. If any seats become available, we will reach out to those with Coronavirus vulnerabilities related to age and contributing medical factors. We will continue to monitor flight availability on behalf of U.S. citizens, but in the absence of flights, we request everyone to be patient until commercial flight service resumes.
Actions to Take:
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website for travel restrictions to the U.S.
- Consult the CDC website, for the most up-to-date information regarding enhanced screening procedures.
- Consult the Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population website for the latest updates on the health situation in Nepal.
- Consult the Government of Nepal’s Immigration Department website for the latest updates about immigration restrictions in Nepal.
- Consult the U.S. Embassy website for updates on Nepal-specific COVID-19 information, entry to and exit from Nepal, quarantine information, and for other local resource contact information.
Assistance:
- U.S. Embassy Kathmandu, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Telephone: +(977)(1) 423-4000 or 400-7200
- Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(977)(1) 400-7266,400-7269
- Email: consktm@state.gov
- State Department – Consular Affairs: 1-888-407-4747 or 1-202-501-4444
- Nepal Country Information
- Enroll in Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates