… Mongar reports two positive cases

Choki Wangmo and Tshering Namgyal 

Not long after transitioning into green zones, movement restrictions were enforced in parts of Tsirang and Dagana dzongkhags starting yesterday.

Both the dzongkhags reported one positive case each.

In Tsirang, the dzongkhag taskforce has enforced movement restrictions in Drubchhugang chiwog of Tsholingkhar gewog.

The residents of the chiwog were asked to home quarantine after a 28-year-old man, who travelled from Thimphu on February 22 tested positive for the virus yesterday. According to a source, the building where he stayed in Thimphu was declared a “red building” on the day of his travel.

The dzongkhag incident commander said that samples of 15 primary contacts were collected yesterday. The test results which will be out today will determine the fate of lockdown in the dzongkhag.

Meanwhile, Phuntsho Automobile Workshop in Damphu Town, BDBL manager’s building in Dalgogai, Namgay Bricks area in Drubchhugang, and Ap Penjor Meat Production and meat sales outlet in Pelrithang chiwog and Damphu town are cordoned off.




The residents and people who visited these places are asked to come for testing or contact the health surveillance at 1221.

The task force members carried out cautionary advocacy and surveillance to business entities in Damphu town yesterday afternoon.

Town residents were seen rushing to buy essential items while the vendors in Sunday market were asked to vacate the area.

Tsirang dzongkhag was declared a green zone on February 23.

Similarly, the Dagana dzongkhag task force has declared 72-hour blackout in Dagapela Throm Zone and four chiwogs of Tashiding gewog (Tashiding, Namchella, Norbuling, and Shamdolay) starting yesterday.

A positive case was reported from Dagapela after a 35-year-old truck driver, who travelled to Sorchen in Chukha to lift animal feeds, tested positive from the community on February 26.

Yesterday, the task force placed 26 primary contacts in  quarantine.

According to the public notification, the trucker arrived at his home in Tashiding on February 22 and visited shops at Dagapela town on February 25 and 26.




People who visited Gurung Hardware, Bal Tshongkhang, CD workshop located at Dagapela throm, Sangay Lhamo Restaurant located at Drujeygang junction and those who had contact with the trucker is advised to stay confined to their respective homes and visit the nearest flu clinic or primary health centres for tests.

“The task force shall relax or impose lockdown after ascertaining the spread of Covid-19 based on the situational assessment from the surveillance team,” the notification stated.

The dzongkhag transitioned to green zone on February 15.

Meanwhile, Mongar reported two Covid-19 cases on February 26. The truck drivers, 37 and 36 years,  were ferrying cement from Nganglam to Kurichhu hydropower project dam site to supplement the maintenance work at the dam site on the evening of February 25.

They directly went to the dam site and unloaded the cement the next day after spending a night at the project site.

The drivers then went to the regional referral hospital in Mongar to get tested for Covid-19 and were declared as positive cases.

Sources said after the test, the drivers visited a restaurant for lunch, a barbershop, and a tailor shop. On the way back to Nganglam before the test results, they had reportedly spent some hours in the automobile workshop at Yongri near Gyalpoizhing. They are currently at the isolation centre in Mongar.




The patients, who are asymptomatic, said they directly go to the Dungsam Cement factory under escort to ferry the cement. They usually stopped for meals at the restaurant near Tshobaley area which falls under Mongar dzongkhag.

As the surveillance team is currently tracing their contacts, the dzongkhag Covid-19 task force has asked the residents not to come out and mingle with others and follow health safety protocols strictly.