The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Health Minister restated that the 7-day mandatory quarantine will not be done away anytime soon because of risks posed from porous borders.
Lyonpo said that they are very much aware of how it has disrupted livelihoods of some people, especially for people who have to travel on a frequent basis.
Lyonpo added, “Importation of disease could be significantly risky if we do away with the 7-day quarantine at this stage”.
Lyonpo said that the 7-day mandatory quarantine will ensure that around 99% of any probable infected cases in the future could be traced. Lyonpo added that the 7-day quarantine has been one of the main reasons on how quickly schools and other sectors could reopen with less hassle.
Lyonpo said, “Moving forward, when we start the vaccination program we look forward to re-establish new protocols accordingly.”
She brought into light the reports from the virus strain samples from Paro and Thimphu cases tested in Bangkok, suggesting that it was not as virulent as the UK or US strain when it came to public health concerns. She added that since the strain of this virus cannot be determined firmly on how it could change or mutate further, the government has is placing testing equipment and experts at RCDC.
The PM also added on how the 7-day mandatory quarantine had affected some people’s livelihoods, such as those who had invested all their money on transport or carrier vehicles, who used to rely solely on incomes earned from delivery of goods and so on.
Lyonchhen added that this is a case which does not have a direct answer, as it concerns the greater population’s safety.
