Monthly Archives: December, 0

With the pandemic forcing the closure of borders, demand for local vegetable is at an all-time high. Taking advantage of this scenario, a farmers’ group in Raling under Pemathang Gewog in Samdrup Jongkhar ventured into growing green chilli on a commercial scale.

With the closure of border gates in March due to the COVID-19 situation, the towns in the country along the border areas saw a shortage of daily wagers. In Gelegphu, the daily wagers from the bordering towns of Indian states come into the country in the past taking up the waste management works. However, the need for workers spiked after the entry of foreign workers was restricted, and Bhutanese showing little interest in such works.

Businesses in Gelegphu town is gradually picking up. More people are seen visiting the town indicating that apparently, the situation affected by the Coronavirus pandemic is regaining normalcy.

A love affair beyond the border was cut short when police in Gelegphu apprehended the couple who were planning to spend their night in a hotel after dodging the patrol teams along the border. 

With the cases of COVID-19 on the rise in the bordering towns of Indian states, the Health Ministry deployed additional medical personnel along with medical equipment in the southern areas of the country.

Most of the COVID-19 positive cases in the country are detected in the returnees from the Middle East, however, the Health Minister said it is epidemiologically very difficult to analyse and reach a conclusion to how they were infected. Lyonpo said the number of case is very small.

With regard to the recent public notification on the entry of foreign workers, Health Minister Dechen Wangmo said the number of foreign workers entering Bhutan would depend on the number of Test Kits available in the country.

The Health Ministry has prepared and submitted standard operating procedures (SOP) to the government and Education Ministry, should the schools reopen. According to the Health Minister, the decision to reopen schools will, however, be taken by the government.

As COVID-19 pandemic affected almost all the construction sectors in the country, the construction of the bridge along Damchhu-Haa link road is also facing the shortage of labours. 

Most of the farmers working in groups have proved financially successful across the country. And this has also encouraged youths from Saling in Monggar...