In just nine days, Lauri and Serthig Gewogs in Samdrup Jongkhar reported 124 COVID-19 positive cases. The Regional and the Dzongkhag COVID-19 Task Force suspect mass gathering on several occasions as the potential contributing factors to the rising COVID-19 cases in the two gewogs. Currently, both places are under lockdown.
Villagers from Jomotsangkha, Lauri and Serthig Gewogs earlier this month gathered for funeral rites in Khashateng chiwog where an infected person was suspected to be present. And villagers from Khashateng attended a religious event in Lauri in the mid of this month.
Right before the lockdown on May 21, a three-day religious event was held in Serthig Gewog. Although nobody from other places came to attend the religious event, villagers have visited Jomotshangkha town for shopping.
“Villagers wash hands, use face mask but during the mass gathering, they have stayed 8 to 9 hours together, they had meals together and sometimes they might not have used face masks. So somehow they have come in contact with each other and we think, the disease spread from there,” said Gonpo Tenzin, a Member of the Eastern COVID-19 Task Force.
Lauri and Serthig have now set up an isolation centre and asymptomatic patients are kept at the centre. Including Khashateng chiwog, Jomotshangkha Dungkhag also reported 152 positive cases since May 21.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
