All 161 secondary contacts from Sershong tested negative for antibody test done as of 11pm yesterday 

Nima

Three out of 81 primary contacts of the 27-year-old woman, who tested positive in Gelephu on August 10, from Gelephu and Sarpang could not be traced so far.

With the help of the health ministry’s surveillance team and the relevant stakeholders, over 81 primary contacts of the index case were listed until yesterday.

The primary contacts included her family members, neighbours, friends, and the ones who travelled with the woman in the same vehicle, among others.

The contact tracing team found all the listed primary contacts except for three because their mobile number turned out to be false, according to the medical superintendent of Gelephu CRRH, Dr Dorji Tshering.

“We are in the process of getting to them with the help of police,” he said.

The contact tracing team is also seeking support from the health ministry’s information technology (IT) division to trace the three contacts.

“Their number turned out to be false while trying to contact them,” said Dr Dorji Tshering.

The secondary contact of the Covid-19 positive patient includes the whole Sershong village that has over 250 people and 61 households.

“It appears as though she had moved freely in the village during her stay until she got tested and confirmed on August 10,” said the official.

Health officials from CRRH moved to the village yesterday afternoon to test all secondary contacts of the index case.

Tests for all secondary contacts from Sershong village were almost complete. The samples for the RT-PCR test were also collected.

All 161 rapid antibody tests conducted until 11pm yesterday for the secondary contacts from Sershong came out negative.

Meanwhile, all 35 primary contacts from Sershong village are under facility quarantine in Gelephu.

Of that, 29 tested negative and the results for the remaining contacts are expected today.

Gewog officials said that the awareness and the need to home quarantine after completion of the facility quarantine were conducted for all returning to the gewog.

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