Nepal has allowed climbing Mount Everest to resume.

Home to eight of the world's 14 highest peaks, Nepal has banned mountaineering and exploration since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. To date, this Himalayan nation of 30 million people has recorded 19,547 Covid-19 cases and 52 deaths.

While Covid-19 infections are declining in many countries, several South Asian nations, including Nepal, are still seeing an increase in new cases.

Nepal's tourism official, Mira Acharya, said that Nepal will reopen mountaineering activities and issue permits for this autumn. Those participating in climbing will have to comply with government health regulations. The autumn climbing season in Nepal runs from September to November each year.

The ban on climbing during the country's peak climbing season in April and May has cost Nepal millions of dollars. Hundreds of foreign tourists and around 200,000 local guides and porters have been severely affected by Nepal's Everest closure order.

Although the government now wants to reopen climbing routes, international flights are still not expected to resume until mid-August, and domestic travel restrictions in Nepal remain in place. This means that climbing will remain restricted for the foreseeable future.

On July 30, the Nepalese government also allowed restaurants and hotels to reopen with some restrictions, such as prohibiting seminars and conferences, and the reopening of gyms and casinos.

My Tong