Saturday, June 28, 2025
  • Webmail
  • Contact Us
  • About BBS
  • Privacy & Policy
ENG
DZO
BBSCL Logo
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Education
  • More
    • Announcement
    • Audience Survey Report
    • Programme
    • Radio Dzo-Channel Schedule
    • Radio Mix-Channel Schedule
Radio Live
No Result
View All Result
BBSCL logo
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Education
  • More
    • Announcement
    • Audience Survey Report
    • Programme
    • Radio Dzo-Channel Schedule
    • Radio Mix-Channel Schedule
No Result
View All Result
BBSCL logo
Radio LIVE

Too early to put the blame on the company for COVID-19 outbreak in Gomtu, PCAL’s CEO

June 14, 2021
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
0
SHARES
5
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Penden Cement Authority Limited’s (PCAL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) says it is too soon to shift the blame on the company for the COVID-19 outbreak in Gomtu, Samtse. Gomtu or Phuentshogpelri Gewog has seen over 20 positive cases since the first two cases on June 6. People in Gomtu allege the outbreak would not have happened if self-containment measures were in place at the PCAL factory.

The first two cases from Gomtu were both women unloaders of the PCAL. The company imports coal, gypsum and cement clinker and these raw materials are brought directly into the plant for unloading.

In a telephone interview, the PCAL CEO who is also the Gewog’s COVID-19 Task Force incident commander said, “Most unloading work is mechanised. The unloaders only work to scrap off remaining raw materials from the truck floor, which is disinfected first. So, they don’t have much exposure to Indian drivers coming in.”

However, people the BBS talked to said, given the risk, loaders and unloaders should have been kept in a self-contained facility and restricted them to go after their shift. 11 of the 14 unloaders tested positive so far.

The PCAL CEO said that industries can’t operate in a self-contained mode with many employees. All 16 industries in the gewog do not operate in self-containment.

“We have been following the same protocol since the first day of the pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the protocol has been in existence. It applies to all industries in the country. No revision of protocols has been done so far. The industries only operate in self-containment during lockdowns.”

According to the CEO, despite not operating in self-containment, stringent safety and security measures are in place. The CEO said, “The workers are made to wash and change clothes immediately after their shifts. They use mask and rubber boots. Desuups and the Police monitor the entire operation. Key employees are tested every week while rest of the employees are tested at random.”

Meanwhile, the two index cases tested positive on the seventh day of their shift. The women were at home during the lockdown in Samtse from 13th to 27th May. They resumed their shift on May 29. On 4th June, the two women were tested, and their results came positive on June 6.

In Gomtu, with more cases being detected and the number of primary contacts increasing, the PCAL’s hall has been converted into an isolation facility. The vegetable market in Gomtu is also being converted to a quarantine facility, which would house close to a hundred people. The new quarantine facility will be ready in the next three days.

The initial plan was to evacuate all positive cases and primary contacts from Gomtu to Samtse and Phuentshogling. Gomtu only has a quarantine facility to cater to routine travellers.

Sherub Dorji, Samtse   

Previous Post

Nazhoen Lamtoen to pilot Child Protection and Community Child Protection teams to address child abuse cases

Next Post

Lockdown relaxed in Thimphu

Next Post

Lockdown relaxed in Thimphu

His Majesty arrives in Jomotshangkha

Residents in Udzorong to benefit from water flagship program

Please login to join discussion

RECOMMENDED NEWS

BHU-Grade I in Langthil to be fully operational by next year

6 years ago
1
Minimise government interventions: EFN conference

Minimise government interventions: EFN conference

10 years ago
2

Chhuzanggang gearing up for commercial farming

11 years ago
1
Bhutan U19 footballers in Bahrain for the 2020 AFC U19 Qualifiers

Bhutan U19 footballers in Bahrain for the 2020 AFC U19 Qualifiers

6 years ago
1

BROWSE BY CATEGORIES

  • Accidents (14)
  • Agriculture (439)
  • Announcement (179)
  • Audience Survey Report (1)
  • Business (759)
  • Crime/Legal (370)
  • Culture (48)
  • Development (57)
  • Disaster (57)
  • Economy (289)
  • Education (419)
  • Entertainment (16)
  • Environment (66)
  • Feature (65)
  • Featured (6)
  • Festival (81)
  • GMC (14)
  • Headlines (5)
  • Health (630)
  • Legal (53)
  • Literature (9)
  • Livestock (76)
  • Media (26)
  • Other Stories (5,687)
  • Politics (419)
  • RCSC (1)
  • Recent stories (6)
  • Religion (45)
  • Sci/Tech (712)
  • Social (548)
  • Sports (456)
  • Technology (191)
  • Tourism (22)
  • Uncategorized (13,868)
  • Video (141)
  • Video Story (257)
  • Wildlife (42)

BROWSE BY TOPICS

Tender Announcement Vacancy Announcement

POPULAR NEWS

  • BPC’s investigation rules out transformer short circuit as Damchhu forest fire cause

    Viral video of Bhutanese man assaulted by locals and police in Jaigaon sparks safety concerns

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Gelephu Mindfulness City opens recruitment drive for Bhutanese professionals

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • A centenarian’s recipe to longevity

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 40 companies risk closure over failure to submit financial reports

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Post-mortem confirms foul play: Progress in investigation of 24-year-old woman’s death

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
BBSCL

Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) is Bhutan’s primary national broadcaster, delivering diverse news and entertainment in multiple languages, fostering cultural understanding and public knowledge.

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

  • Lead exposure may be contributing to high anaemia levels among children in Bhutan
  • MoIT imposes moratorium on issuance of taxi driving licence
  • Book on temples and monasteries of Trongsa’s Drakteng wins Dzongkha Booker Prize
  • Shumar Cheden Tshephel Detshen becomes self-reliant with own milk processing unit
  • Fire risk from phones at fuel depot low but never non-existent

News Category

  • Accidents
  • Agriculture
  • Announcement
  • Audience Survey Report
  • Business
  • Crime/Legal
  • Culture
  • Development
  • Disaster
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Feature
  • Featured
  • Festival
  • GMC
  • Headlines
  • Health
  • Legal
  • Literature
  • Livestock
  • Media
  • Other Stories
  • Politics
  • RCSC
  • Recent stories
  • Religion
  • Sci/Tech
  • Social
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Tourism
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Video Story
  • Wildlife
  • Webmail
  • Contact Us
  • About BBS
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 BBSCL. All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Education
  • More
    • Announcement
    • Audience Survey Report
    • Programme
    • Radio Dzo-Channel Schedule
    • Radio Mix-Channel Schedule

© 2024 BBSCL. All rights reserved.