Kathmandu, Jun 2 (IANS): Nepali authorities decided on Wednesday to extend a lockdown for 10 more days which has been put in place in the Kathmandu Valley since late April, as the number of Covid-19 cases remains high in the country.

A joint meeting of chief district officers of the Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts in the valley "decided to extend the ongoing lockdown till June 14," said Dhundi Prasad Niraula, chief district officer of Lalitpur.

In response to the devastating second wave of Covid-19 that hit Nepal in early April, the Kathmandu Valley has been switched to a lockdown mode since April 29, under which economic and social activities are fully or partially banned to prevent the spread of the virus, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Under the new restrictions announced on Wednesday, grocery stores, which were asked to be shut down last time, are allowed to open till 9 a.m. local time.

Likewise, vehicle maintenance workshops are allowed to operate from 9 p.m. till 9 a.m. next day. Officials said the relaxation was made in certain sectors due to falling Covid-19 cases in the last few days in the valley.

According to Nepal's Health Ministry, 4,524 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours in the country, with 1,456 logged in the Kathmandu Valley, while in most days in May the national number stood at 8,000 to 9,000.

While new infections in the valley have been falling for days, cases outside have remained high.

Citing continued risk from the pandemic, the Chitwan district in southern Nepal also extended the lockdown till June 10.

In fact, restrictive measures have continued in almost all districts of the country.