Nima |  Gelephu

Outbound travellers undergoing mandatory quarantine in Sarpang will receive vaccinations at their respective destinations.

Inter dzongkhag movement is restricted during the vaccination period.  Individuals, who completed vaccination, will be allowed to travel only after a seven-day mandatory quarantine, according to the dzongkhag Covid-19 taskforce.

Currently, there are over 300 outbound travellers, 199 males, and 129 females, undergoing mandatory quarantine in Gelephu.

The dzongkhag taskforce has identified schools, gewog halls, primary health care centres, and hospitals as the vaccination centres.  There are 45 vaccination centres in the dzongkhag.

Over 150 health professionals will be involved in the weeklong vaccination campaign.  Gelephu central regional referral hospital deployed 75 health officials, including seven doctors for the vaccination.

More than 24,000 people in Sarpang have registered for the vaccination.  More than 90 percent said they wanted the vaccination, while 223 said they do not want to take the vaccination.

The medical superintendent with CRRH, Dr Dorji Tshering, said that those who said they do not want to take the vaccination were mostly pregnant or lactating mothers, and also with multiple comorbidities.

“However, there are a few individuals, who are apprehensive about the side effects of the vaccine,” he said.

Clarifying the rumours in Gelephu that claimed people should not drink any fizzy drinks or brews after the vaccination, Dr Dorji Tshering said there were no restrictions on the consumption or avoidance of any food items before or after the intake of Covid vaccination.

Meanwhile, construction workers were worried if they would be eligible for vaccination in other gewogs.

A farmer from Chudzom registered for the vaccination last week but is now in Samteling. “I’m worried if I should move back home immediately for the vaccination,” he said.

Dr Dorji Tshering said that those, who have wrongly registered their addresses for the vaccination, would also be allowed for vaccination at the identified centre in their area of residence.

According to the task force, the vaccination posts are equipped with 158 health workers, including 14 monitoring officers and 145 desuups to assist the public during the vaccination.

All institutions, schools, and offices identified as vaccination posts will remain closed during the vaccination period. Frontline workers in POEs and relay stations in Tamala and Darachu may get vaccinated by visiting the nearest vaccination post.

Meanwhile, in Zhemgang, a teacher from Zhemgang lower secondary school is identified as the first person to get vaccinated in the dzongkhag.

Over 11,000 people registered for the vaccination from the dzongkhag to date. Zhemgang received 11,260 doses of vaccines.