China will set up a “separation line” on the peak of Mount Everest to avoid possible Covid-19 infections by climbers from virus-hit Nepal, state media has reported. The decision was taken after a number of Covid-19 cases were diagnosed among climbers ascending the mountain from Nepal, official news agency Xinhua reported. Mount Everest straddles the China-Nepal border, with the north slope belonging to China. The report did not make clear how the separation line will be drawn and defined or what it will be made of. An Everest permit alone from Nepal costs $11,000 and climbers pay upward of $40,000 for an expedition.

Source: Hindustan Times May 10, 2021 20:14 UTC