Mass screening of the Yellow Zones of Paro Dzongkhag began today. And it will continue tomorrow as well. If the results come as expected, the Dzongkhag will be declared as a Green Zone. The district did not report any positive cases from the community in the last three weeks.
Four teams are visiting settlements for sweeping the Yellow Zones. A sample from each member of a household is collected. However, all the household members are tested in a high-risk area like Shaba. Some 6,000 people will be tested within two days.
This is the fourth time, 75-year-old Sonam Tshering from Gangri in Shaba got tested himself. He said he is confident that the results will be as expected.
“I am optimistic that our results will come out clean. It is because after the lockdown was imposed, we did not move from our campus to other places. We didn’t meet with any strangers or non-family members as well,” said Sonam Tshering.
“I am not scared at all. I personally did the test for the fourth time now and even my children got their tests done. I have to reschedule my annual ritual twice but I couldn’t conduct it. If things are back to normal then I am performing the rituals first,” said Rinchen Pem from Shaba.
“I have tested twice now. I am told that this is the final test. I am excited that our schools will open soon. I missed my friends,” said a student, Tsheyang Tshoki Namgyel.
Meanwhile, things are getting normal every day at the Paro town. The number of people in the town is increasing by day and shops are gradually opening.
The temporary vegetable market in Tshongdue archery ground is also open.
But vehicle movement is still restricted.
The first community case was reported from Shaba on 22nd December last year. Meanwhile, far-flung Gewogs such as Naja, Dogar, Doteng and Tsento gewogs are declared as safe zones when the 18 districts were declared as a Green Zone.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro
