Following the government’s decision to quarantine Bhutanese returning from abroad, 182 Bhutanese are in quarantine centres so far. According to the Foreign Minister, around 100 Bhutanese are coming back every day.
Yesterday alone, Phuentshogling quarantined 36 Bhutanese coming back from India. Most of them were students returning from Sikkim. They are quarantined at the Punatshangchhu guesthouse and in one of the hotels in the town. They will be quarantined for 14 days.
Like them, there are 119 Bhutanese in quarantine centres across the country and 63 others are in home-quarantine.
“They have to be kept in designated quarantine centres. Only children below 18 years who are not with parents are sent for home quarantine but their parents have to sign an undertaking ensuring to keep the child isolated at home. And those who are in home-quarantine, health workers and police will conduct inspection often,” said Dr Tandi Dorji, the Foreign Minister.
“Places like in Phuentshogling, we are planning on making schools into quarantine centres. If we have a huge number of Bhutanese returning, hotels wouldn’t accommodate them all and it would get expensive,” added Dr Lotay Tshering, the Prime Minister.
Though Bhutanese are allowed to travel via Delhi, Finance Minister informed that people showing symptoms of COVID-19 and people with travel history to affected countries leaving the airport will be quarantined.
Three Bhutanese are quarantined in Delhi.
“Whether you are an Indian or of any nationality coming from covid-19 affected area and if you step out of the airport, you will be quarantined for 14 days. So if Bhutanese who are planning on returning, you are asked not to go out of the airport and book a flight with connecting flight to Bhutan within 12 hours. Then they won’t have much problem,” said Dr Tandi Dorji, the Foreign Minister.
Those coming via Bangkok on transit are urged to time the connecting flights within 8 hours.
Meanwhile, the movement of the people in Phuentshogling has decreased. In February, more than 40,000 people were screened daily. Today, the number has reduced to 28,000.
Sangay Chezom/Sonam Penjor
