Nepal and Covid-19 1

Abstract

Cautious of a possible outbreak of Covid-19, Nepal’s government proactively enacted mitigation measures, including a one-size-fits-all lockdown in advance of the virus’ expected peak. At first these measures seemed to be effective, but only for a short time. With an inflow of migrant workers returning from India, Covid-19 cases began to increase. By late August, the country became one of the worst-hit developing countries in the world. Why could the government not sustain its initial effectiveness? What contributed towards the later failures? By examining governance and institutions in Nepal, this chapter demonstrates that decreasing performance shows Nepal’s status as a flagging state.