The information which went viral on social media earlier today about a Chinese tourist being detected with coronavirus in Bumthang is not true. The Prime Minister said this today at the Meet the Press session.
However, it is true that the tourist had a fever while she was sightseeing in Bumthang yesterday. The Health Ministry, therefore, took her test sample which is sent to the Royal Centre for Disease Control for confirmation. The Ministry is expecting the test results today. In the meantime, the tourist is currently grounded at her hotel in Thimphu until the test result is out.
“We have not a single case of coronavirus as of now. So be absolutely clear that one tourist who was in Bumthang have a fever and once we have a fever we will make sure that he or she is taken care of. This is important. Whether it is coronavirus or not, we have to take care so it is contained because there is no other treatment. Until the red light is put off any fever is taken as corona until proven otherwise so that we don’t miss out. But 99.99 per cent is not coronavirus but we take it as coronavirus so that the 0.01 per cent is not missed out. That is why we talk about quarantine. Suspected cases will be quarantined until proven otherwise,” said Dr Lotay Tshering, the Prime Minister.
Phub Gyem
