Phub Dem      

Paro recorded 57 Covid-19 positive cases, including two returnees, since the dzongkhag detected the first case on December 22.

Following the detection of the first community transmission in Shaba gewog, most of the cases emerged in the area.

The health surveillance team completed two-day cluster sweeping in Shaba on January 2. The cluster surveillance detected two positive cases which were contacts of previous cases.

So far, 47 cases were detected in Shaba cluster. Of that, 19 cases were seen from the first mass testing on December 23.

According to Dzongkhag Health Officer Choki Wangmo, every household member was tested for the virus for early detection.

During the first mass testing, the surveillance team carried out tests on a member from each household, contacts of the positive cases, and those with flu-like symptoms.

Shaba gewog has around 700 households, and 1,500 residents were tested during the cluster sweeping.

The tests including frontliners, those with symptoms, others with a travel history and the contacts, Choki Wangmo said that the testing covered 10 gewogs.

She said that random testing was carried out in low-risk areas such as Bondey, Wangchang and Paro town. “Locals who have travel history and flu-like symptoms in Naja and Dogar gewogs were also tested.”

During the press briefing yesterday, Health Minister Dechen Wangmo said that Paro conducted more than 12,000 tests so far.

In the meantime, mobile teams were conducting tests on people with symptoms and contacts.