Bhutan reported its first Covid-19 case on March 5, 2020 when an American tourist tested positive for the disease. By March 31, 2020 there were five cases, but no deaths due to the infection. All cases were imported cases and till the end of March there was no instance of local transmission of the virus in the landlocked Himalayan country.
Much like number of its South Asian neighbours, the capacity of Bhutan to handle large number of patients suffering from the infectious disease is limited. The country does not have adequate quarantine facilities, protective gear for its medical personnel, and fully equipped intensive care units at the hospitals. Moreover, Bhutan too had conducted very few tests. Only 558 samples had been tested by March 31, 2020. Those tested included foreigners and locals, who had travelled outside of the country or experienced flu symptoms.
The government, however, reacted proactively after the first case was reported in a tourist and restricted entry of all foreigners into the country with immediate effect for an initial period of two weeks. Education institutions were closed from March 6 and all public gatherings including religious and social ones were banned. People were encouraged to maintain distance while visiting vegetable markets, fuel depots, hospitals and banking facilities. Read More…
