It has been exactly a year since Bhutan reported the first case of coronavirus infection. Over the last year, the country recorded close to 900 confirmed cases of COVID-19. And today there is no active case of COVID-19 in the country with the lone case declared recovered in the last 24 hours.
The country’s first case of COVID-19 was detected on 5th March last year in a 76-year-old American tourist who visited Bhutan along with his partner. Following the confirmation, the health ministry traced over 90 close contacts including his partner, the tour guide and the driver. The government then announced the closure of schools and institutes in Paro, Punakha and Thimphu where the tourist visited.
Except for his partner, all others tested negative for the virus. As a preventive measure, the country closed its doors to international tourists since then. The government also sealed borders along the southern belt since 23rd March and introduced quarantine protocol for overseas returnees.
Following the first case, the country reported positive cases detected from the quarantine facilities.
On 11th August, Bhutan went into a nationwide lockdown after a woman tested positive for the virus outside the quarantine facility in Gelegphu. The healthy ministry traced close to a hundred contacts in Gelegphu, Paro and Thimphu. All schools, institutions, offices and commercial establishments remained closed during the lockdown. The government lifted the 21-day nationwide lockdown in phased-manner on 1st September. However, the lockdown was extended for the residents of Gelegphu, Phuentshogling, Samdrupjongkhar and Samtse. Since then these areas are considered high-risk and residents from these places are required to stay in quarantine for seven days while travelling into other districts.
Following the detection of sporadic cases of COVID-19 from flu clinics in Thimphu, Paro and Dagana the country went into a second nationwide lockdown on 23rd December. The country also reported the first death from COVID-19 during the second nationwide lockdown. A 34-year-old COVID patient with a pre-existing health condition died on 7th January.
There was no new case in the last 10 days. And with the lone case recovering in the last 24 hours, the national recovery rate is 99.88%.
Phub Gyem
