Thinley Namgay

Thimphu dzongkhag with technical support from the Royal Centre for Disease Control (RCDC) are conducting Covid-19 mass screening in the gewogs.

Of the eight gewogs, mass screening was completed in five gewogs of Mewang, Dagala, Genekha, Kawang and Chang and a total of 4,400 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 429 antibody samples were collected as of yesterday.

The mass screening started on January 12.

For Kawang and Chang, 1,128 and 742 PCR samples were collected yesterday with additional 113 and 74 antibody samples respectively.

On January 12, 2,530 PCR and 242 antibody samples were collected from Dagala, Mewang and Genekha.

Of the 2,530 PCR samples collected, 1,686 were from Mewang followed by Dagala and Genekha with 498 and 346 respectively. Mewang also saw maximum antibody samples with 165 followed by Dagala and Genekha with 43 and 34 respectively.

The samples were collected from the most mobile and active family member of each household and will be tested at the RCDC.

Dzongkhag’s senior health officer, Kencho Wangdi, said the team from RCDC took the samples and they are waiting for the result. “For Lingzhi, Soe and Naro, we have decided to conduct the test if there was any case of flu symptoms. The highland gewogs are still safe at present.”

He said that if the test results of the other five gewogs are negative, there wouldn’t be a risk in Lingzhi, Soe and Naro.

For the sample collection, people gather at strategic venue by following strict health protocols.

According to Kencho Wangdi, health assistants of Lingzhi, Soe and Naro are asked to inform them if there are case with flu symptoms.