Tshering Namgyal | Mongar

Lhuentse detected another 28 positive cases in the past two days taking the total active cases to 34 as of yesterday.

Among them, 21 tested positive in both antigen and RT-PRC on March 17, while another seven tested positive in antigen test, which is now considered as positive as per the new health guideline.

The positive cases were from Phaling town and Gangzur gewog, and one from Dungkar.

Lhuentse Health Officer, Ugyen Dorji, said the positive cases have been advised to remain in home isolation while a patient with the underlying health condition has been moved to facility quarantine.

Dzongkhag Covid-19 task force has also stopped tracing contact as per the new guideline. Those suspected contacts who wish to test can give samples at the flu clinic.

Meanwhile, the dzongkhag has put a group of six Geonsho kidu recipients and vulnerable people in the reverse isolation facility at the guesthouse at Takela yesterday. The facility can accommodate 20 people.

Another reverse isolation facility is being arranged at Lhuentse dzongkhag guesthouse that can accommodate over 15 people.

Lhuentse Dzongrab Wangchen Norbu said of the 16 people identified 14 of them with comorbidity would be kept at the dzongkhag guesthouse which is close to the hospital as per health officials’ advice.

Meanwhile, the source of the virus is not yet ascertained.

Similarly, Trashiyangtse also reported its first Covid-19 positive case on March 16.

A 20-year old man from Khamdang gewog, who happened to be a co-passenger with the Lhuentse index case, tested positive on Antigen twice on March 16 and RT-PCR on March 17.

Trashiyangtse Dzongdag Baburam Sherpa said the index case had travelled from Mongar in the Trashigang-bound bus on March 9 up to Chazam. From there he had taken lift in a bolero to Thrichu Goenpa where he has been working at the choeten construction site.

He said 70 primary contacts, 57 monks of Thrichu Goenpa, six co-workers and seven others, have been traced and advised home quarantine. The index case is currently home quarantined and managed as per the revised protocol on the management of positive cases.