An emergency ministerial meeting of the Nepal Cabinet on Monday decided to close all the educational institutions of urban areas till May 14 in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases.

The information about the closure of schools in urban areas was shared by a sitting minister.

"Meeting has decided to close the schools and colleges till the end of Baisakh (May 14). Along with the educational institutions, other services which bring on more people at one place also has been asked to close," Prabhu Shah, a sitting Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli told ANI over the phone.

Earlier, the COVID-19 Crisis Management Committee had recommended the government close schools and colleges in areas with a high risk of COVID-19.

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However, the government has directed schools and colleges to continue with their virtual classes.

The Health Ministry on April 15 had classified 14 districts as COVID-19 hit areas, urging the people to follow safety protocols.

The government has already categorised Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kaski, Rupandehi, Chitwan, Banke, Parsa, Kailali, Morang, Dang, Surkhet, Bara and Banglung as the districts with a high risk of COVID-19.