The plans to ease the lockdown in Phuentshogling is unsettled following the detection of three positive cases from the community during the mass screening in the last two days. Initially, the lockdown was supposed to be eased from tomorrow had there been no positive cases of COVID-19 from the mass screening. However, zones that have not reported any cases during the mass screening can expect to reopen.
According to the plans formulated by the Health Ministry’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for COVID-19, if COVID-19 cases detected is in less than five zones, ‘restrictive opening of lockdown in COVID-free zones’ will be initiated from tomorrow. Movements of residents will be confined to the respective zones with schools and offices remaining closed for five more days. However, if positive cases detected are from five or more zones, the lockdown will be extended for seven more days with the second round of mass screening thereafter. Phuentshogling is divided into nine zones during the mass screening. And the positive cases were detected from Core 1, which covers the MDP, STCBL and workshop areas, and Core 3, which covers the forest colony, PSA and BoB areas.
The team conducted mass screening in Rinchending, Allay-Pekarzhing and Pasakha area today. And the results will be out only tomorrow.
To rule out the presence of residual COVID-19 cases in the community, the Ministry of Health started mass screening on Friday. Each individual from a household was tested. More than 8,000 samples were collected through mass screening.
Phuentshogling was under lockdown since April 16 after a 10-year-old boy and his mother tested positive for the virus from the flu clinic.
Sonam Penjor, Phuentshogling
