COVID-19 related activities including quarantine services and DSA’s for officials have cost the government Nu 191M until June. Mandatory quarantine for all overseas arrivals in the country was implemented from March.
During a recent meeting with ministers and executives, the Prime Minister said around Nu 4M is spent on quarantine services every day. Among the 20 Dzongkhags, Quarantine services in Thimphu have cost Nu 73M, followed by Paro with about Nu 49.5M.
As per the latest figures from the health ministry, there are over 190 quarantine facilities in the country. And about 9000 people have been quarantined so far. A majority of them were students at 3500 while 1200 were overseas employees.
More than half of the people who were quarantined came from India followed by about 1000 people from Kuwait. Until now, overseas arrivals include Bhutanese returnees from 44 countries.
Meanwhile, some 100 defaulters have been reported. According to the health ministry, some of them have crossed the border illegally for smuggling tobacco; some entered the country through illegal routes, some breached the quarantine protocols and some came in contact with high-risk people from neighboring areas in the borders.
Tshering Zam
