We now have five Covid-19 positive cases in the country. JDWNRH is, we are told, well-placed to handle the pressure. What does it mean?

If we are positive that our health system can handle the increasing number of cases, it is good news. But could we, at the same time, becoming more complacent? This is the real danger facing the country today.

Bhutan’s Covid-19 positive cases have so far come from outside. As more Bhutanese come home from abroad, the chances of case numbers rising is ever-present.

But the more important question is how prepared we are. Health officials tell us that Bhutan’s health system could be put to a severe test if the number of Covid-19 positive cases hit 10.

What is good about our approach is that we have focused on strong quarantine system. All the positive cases so far have come from abroad. We do not have a single local case and this must be the situation.

Fatigue of a sort is now showing in the society and this is not an encouraging sign by any standard. While the health ministry is doing all in its capacity to keep the nation and the people safe, the people, especially in the border areas, are taking it things very lightly.

Many individuals and groups have had to go behind the bars in the past few weeks because they were found to be taking advantage of the situation. The real danger is here.

Our information flow has to be strong. Otherwise, all our efforts could go in vain. One may be a minister or a dasho but if he or she can’t present the real picture of the challenge to the people and the nation, we are in a deep problem.

The main challenge that we are confronted with today is controlling or monitoring the borders. We also have problems dealing with physical distancing. What is coming off clearly is that we need to think clearly and not act thoughtlessly.

We are now forced to think what is legal when monitoring officials peek into our private rooms. Why is this happening?

A more important question is what can our monitoring officials do on duty? When people rush in wet markets and hospitals, how are we dealing with basic precautionary measures?

Are we doing enough?