The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The 39 first contact who tested negative are from the Paro and Thimphu group where the tourist was from 2nd March to 3rd March.
Samples are now being collected from the first contact group in Punakha where the tourists had gone to on 4th March and stayed the night.
The samples will be collected from Dhensa Boutique Hotel staff (where he stayed) and also the Druk Wangyal Cafe staff (where he had coffee) who had direct contact with the tourist.
The tests will be done either today or tomorrow depending on the collection.
The above staff have self quarantined but are not symptomatic.
The sample collection was delayed by 48 hours or more since first contact to allow any symptoms to show in the test.
Samples, however, cannot be collected from passerby’s who passed the tourist on his way to the Bazam from where he turned back as there is no contact tracing for that.
Also to be tested is a suspected case of a young woman from Trashigang who exhibited flu like symptoms. To save time His Majesty has commanded for the sample to be airlifted from Bumthang.
