Choki Wangmo

Fifteen home delivery services registered with the Department of Cottage and Small Industries (DCSI) as of yesterday.

These business entities are expected to deliver essential and non-essential items during emergencies.

Happy Delivery Service (HDS) began delivering fast food, home-cooked food, drinks and fruits to the quarantine centres in Thimphu and Paro yesterday.

The founder of HDS, Jigme Singye, said that those who are being quarantined would like to have varieties of food choices during the 21-day quarantine period.

Orders would be delivered twice a day. The food would be procured from small businesses and hard-hit sectors of the economy so that they can help them sustain. “In the future, we plan to engage laid-off workers in the business who are skilled.”

The service charge could depend on the location.

The manager of NOB Bhutan, Tandin Tshewang, said that the company was not able to deliver vegetables to the quarantine centres but there are plans to make it happen soon. The company delivers locally grown potatoes in vegetable markets in Thimphu and nearby dzongkhags.

Namgay Dorji, a businessman who is being quarantined in one of the centres in Paro, said that the centre provided nutritious food.

“I did not ask anything from home since I was quarantined. The government is doing its best,” he said. “Food delivery is a good initiative,” he added.

He said that there were, however, people in the quarantine centres who are not happy with the meals.

Quarantined in a centre in Paro, Karma Wangchuk, said: “The initiative of delivery service in quarantine centres is good but the centre where I stay has good food. The services are excellent.”

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