Following a cluster outbreak in Thimphu, all the other districts began tracing contacts of those who travelled from Thimphu since 7th December to respective districts.
The Prime Minister during a press briefing yesterday urged those who have travelled from Thimphu to other districts after December 7 should get tested.
“We feel that they started spreading the virus from December 7th or 8th. Within the two weeks starting from 7th December, about 38,000 people went out from Thimphu to other districts. So we never know if the virus has spread to other districts,” added the Prime Minister.
At more than 16,000, Paro has the highest number of people who travelled to Thimphu from 7th December. Of this, nearly 2,000 travelled to Paro from Thimphu in the past two days. They are placed under strict home quarantine. Meanwhile, close contact of the positive case is in facility quarantine. She tested negative.
Ten primary contacts in Trongsa are put into facility quarantine. According to the district’s COVID-19 task force, four villages of Tagtse, Tashidingkha, Uesar and Bubja will be under strict surveillance. This is because a primary contact of the positive case who visited these places tested positive. Meanwhile, nearly 400 people have travel history to Thimphu of which over 100 have been tested.
Similarly, since yesterday, Wangdue Phodrang has tested more than 700 people that include three primary contacts and 13 secondary contacts. Six people including the primary contacts and some from secondary contacts have been put in facility quarantine. Three tested negative on RT-PCR while samples of the other three will be sent for test in a few days.
Phuentshogling has tested over 70 people who came from Thimphu recently. Frontline workers are also being tested.
Around 350 people in Tsirang with travel history to Thimphu were traced and tested as of today afternoon. Travellers were tested starting yesterday and contact tracing is still under process.
In Gelegphu, as per the RBP’s Check Post Management System, 292 people travelled from Thimphu to Gelegphu since 7th December. Of them, more than 60 per cent were tested for the coronavirus in the last two days. All of them tested negative.
However, those who took the journey on 20th December will be tested after undergoing a weeklong home quarantine. Similarly, 399 Desuups posted in Sarpang district also took the test. Meanwhile, the district’s COVID-19 Taskforce suspended the registration for seven-day quarantine for outgoing travellers until Wednesday.
82 people in Samtse came for a test at the flu clinic in Samtse town today. Of the total, 76 are those with travel history to Thimphu. Since four people came from Thimphu after 19th December, they have been home quarantined and will be tested again after a week.
According to the District Health Officer of Bumthang, an online registration for people who have travelled to Thimphu recently was opened yesterday. Over 400 people with travel history registered online and more than 50 have been tested. Those who came from Thimphu after 19th December have been home quarantined and will be tested after a week.
More than 159 people travelled from Thimphu to Zhemgang from 7th to 19th December. While 80 has been tested, more will be tested.
In Monggar, over 200 samples were collected and tested from people with travel history to Thimphu including the public transport buses.
More than 40 travellers from Thimphu to Samdrup Jongkhar in the past few days were traced and are being tested. Over 130 people have been tested in Trashi Yangtse, and nearly 500 in Trashigang.
The Check Post Management System put in place a few months ago after the nationwide lockdown is helping the districts trace travellers efficiently. Tracing and testing in various districts are still ongoing.
Kinley Dem
