Bureau reporters

With Thimphu under lockdown, officials of all 19 dzongkhags are conducting Covid-19 tests for all people who travelled to the dzongkhag from Thimphu in the last few days.

Dzongkhag officials are also contact tracing and Covid-19 tests are conducted for primary and secondary contacts of the 25-year-old woman, who tested positive on the night of December 19.

Punakha and  Wangdue

Eight people in the two dzongkhags have been quarantined.

Twenty-nine samples of individuals from Toepisa gewog, who came in contact with the primary contact, have been sent to Thimphu. They would know the results today.

Six individuals from the same gewog have been quarantined.

According to a health official in Punakha, the six were quarantined because they were at a higher risk as they came in  contact with the person who tested positive.

Kuensel learned that the person had visited his village, Phenteykha in Toepisa gewog, for the annual Phentey-Namto ritual. Phenteykha village has 16 households.

Speaking at the press conference yesterday, Lyonchhen Dr Lotay Tshering said that around 37 individuals, who came in contact with the primary contact, had been traced.

A total of 129 travellers from Thimphu tested negative at Trashigang flu clinic yesterday

The individuals were mostly villagers who came to conduct the ritual and the monks who were conducting the ritual.

Toepisa gewog officials have instructed the villagers to follow Covid-19 protocols and to remain calm.

The officials have also instructed the villagers to avoid movement for safety.

In Wangdue, two individuals have been quarantined. The two individuals also came in contact with the primary contact, when he was travelling to Trongsa.

The primary contact had met a woman while visiting a goenpa in Dangchu gewog and a man for a meal at Pelela in Wangdue.

Health officials in Wangdue have been advised to conduct a test after three to four days.

Trongsa

Six people are put into facility quarantine in Trongsa, as they have contacted two primary contacts of the index case.

Sampels from both the primary contacts of the index case were sent to Thimphu yesterday afternoon.

It was learnt that the primary contact attended a ritual in Tashidingkha.

People of Eusa, Takste, Bubja and Tashidingkha are restricted for movement within the community.

According to Drakteng Gup Kinzang Dorji, villagers are asked not to travel out of the villages, as the primary contact came to drop parcel.

With most of the people worried about the possibility of another lockdown, Trongsa residents were seen rushing to buy essentials.

The dzongkhag Covid-19 taskforce requested all people, who came to the dzongkhag from Thimphu after December 7 to register with the taskforce.

Mongar

The eastern regional referral hospital in Mongar collected samples from 200 people, including passengers of public transport buses, who travelled to and from Thimphu since December 7.

The samples would be tested at the Mongar Covid-19 lab along with the samples from other health centres in the eastern region.

The dzongkhag Covid-19 taskforce also resumed all its functions with the activation of the control room. Gewogs were also notified to ensure all people who have travel history to Thimphu from December 7 to undergo the test.

Trashigang and Trashiyangtse

Passengers of five buses and 20 vehicles, who came from Thimphu on December 18, had undergone testing in Trashigang hospital yesterday. All travellers were asked to home quarantine for seven days.

Dzongdag Cheki Gyeltshen said he issued notifications to drungkhag and gewog officials to prepare for a second lockdown and monitor their respective area.

He said the dzongkhag Covid-19 task force would meet today and discuss what needs to be done. “We will remind local leaders to stock up essentials to last more than two weeks.”

In Trashiyangtse, Dzongdag Thuji Tshering said dzongkhag taskforce met and discussed the way forward.

He said they started tracing people who returned from Thimphu and conducted the test for 129 travellers and all tested negative.

Samdrupjongkhar

Samdrupjongkhar Covid-19 taskforce issued a notification stating that all games and sports including archery, khuru and football, would not be allowed from today to avoid unnecessary gatherings until further notice.

Gelephu

More than 280 frontline workers were tested for Covid-19 yesterday and it continues today.

More than 290 people had come to Gelephu between December 7 and 19.

People who have come to Gelephu on December 19 were asked to home quarantine. They will be tested within a week for Covid-19.

Officials from contact tracing and surveillance team said test results of people who came to Gelephu between December 7 and 19 from Thimphu would determine whether the dzongkhag has to lockdown.

Tsirang

More than 150 travellers have been put under home quarantine and sat for rapid antigen tests in Damphu, as sample collections for those who came to the dzongkhag from Thimphu since December 18 are ongoing.

About 50 people, who have travelled to Thimphu before December 18 were tested at the flu clinic.

Paro

Health officials said about 1,850 people came to Paro from Thimphu since December 19 and earlier yesterday. They have been asked to follow strict home quarantine for a week.

Official said health team would conduct Covid-19 test at the end of the quarantine.

Those who came from Thimphu between December 7 to 19 were requested to visit flu clinic for testing.

The health team also requests anyone with flu-like symptoms to visit flu clinic for testing.

As of yesterday, there was no direct contact of the index case in Paro.

The health team tested 19 individuals for RT-PCR who were exposed to the high-risk area in Thimphu.