  Alternative data have a big role, especially during a crisis. The months of
stalemate have made us realize their importance for policy responses. In Nepal,
the Government has exerted stay put measures, and physical data collection
activities are suspended. The confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been increasing
steadily and the country is on high alert. In this impasse, the number of
secondary cases one would produce over the course of outbreak -- the
reproduction number is useful to monitor the transmissibility of COVID-19. As
the R-value is rapidly changing, it can be affected by a range of factors,
including not just how infectious a disease is but how Government responds to
it, and how the population behaves. The World Health Organization (WHO) has
suggested to the Government of Nepal several recommendations to contain the
further spread of COVID-19. To get a sense of how Nepal is coping with the
coronavirus pandemic we look at the alternative data sets to get a better
understanding of the pandemic policies, mobility, and R-value during COVID.
