Just 24 hours into the lockdown in Phuentshogling, the Southern COVID-19 Task Force initiated phase-wise relaxation. This comes after all the samples collected yesterday tested negative. The task force tested five primary contacts and about 300 people who visited Lucky Restaurant. Phuentshogling went into lockdown yesterday after a 37-year-old cook at the restaurant tested positive for COVID-19.
Export and import of goods at the Mini Dry Port and Pasakha industrial area, and driver switching operations at Sorchen resumed today. More than 200 vehicles carrying essential goods were allowed to move to different parts of the country.
Similarly, about 15 vehicles headed to other high-risk areas and that were stranded were allowed to move upon testing negative on antigen test.
The task force also facilitated the travel of about 20 Bhutanese and more than 10 non-Bhutanese out of the country.
However, the movement of vehicles and people in the town is still restricted, except for emergency service providers.
According to Rixin Jamtsho, a member of the Southern COVID-19 Task Force, the lockdown has been successful so far, and that no major issues were reported.
Today, the task force also tested additional seven individuals who visited the restaurant and more than 134 truckers and taxi operators. Their results are awaited.
Meanwhile, the 37-year-old COVID patient has been moved to an isolation ward. Her swab sample has also been sent to the Royal Centre for Disease Control in Thimphu to determine what variant caused the infection.
Choni Dema
Edited by Chayku
