| English | Dzongkha | Saturday, January 16, 2021 |
The first phase of unlocking the lockdown in Thimphu will begin from tomorrow. But it is only for the residents of North Thimphu as none of the samples collected from the region during the mass screening tested positive for coronavirus.
Life in the 18 districts identified as green zones by the National COVID-19 Taskforce is almost back to how it was pre-lockdown days. However, most districts have decided not to go liberal with the relaxations. This means, no pilgrimage or hot spring baths. Sports like football and archery, which attracts a high number of players, have been put on hold as well. District taskforces were given the authority to decide on the relaxation of activities.
India began the world’s biggest vaccination drive today. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the programme, which aims to vaccinate more than 1.3 bn people against COVID-19. Covishield and Covaxin are the two approved vaccines.
Schools in Haa will open only after a week as 160 students studying in Haa arrived from Thimphu and Paro today. They will undergo a weeklong quarantine. There are three Higher Secondary Schools in Haa.
With the onset of potato cultivation season in Kanglung Gewog in Trashigang, farmers are worried as they could not get inorganic fertilizers on time. However, three truckloads of fertilizers reached the Gewog yesterday. Villagers have been using fertilizers for a better yield.
The Public Service Call Centre 1010 facilitated the movement of 274 stranded people today. According to the centre, most districts have agreed to arrange transportation to ferry those stranded. All the travellers were tested prior to their departure.
Wangdue Phodrang hospital will be temporarily used for performing cancer-related surgeries. According to Health Minister Dechen Wangmo, this is to provide uninterrupted medical services even with the outbreak of COVID-19 in Thimphu.
After people suffered shortages of vegetable during the first Nationwide Lockdown in August last year, farmers in Sarpang are now venturing into large-scale commercial vegetable farming. Seven Individuals from Samtenling Gewog has taken the government’s fallow land on lease for commercial farming.
The health ministry has started mass testing for the residents of Thimphu beginning today. It is to see if there is any case of coronavirus in the community before easing the lockdown restrictions in Thimphu. The capital city has been under lockdown for 27 days since the first community case was reported on 20th December last year.
A World Health Organization (WHO) team arrived in China’s central city of Wuhan yesterday to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to WHO, a group of ten scientists from ten different countries will interview people from research institutes, hospitals and the seafood market linked to the initial outbreak.