Department of Disaster Management Safe, Resilient and Happy Bhutan
Data as of 26th July 2020
Source: Ministry of Health-Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MoHBhutan
Highlights:
1. A 24 year old male and a 26 year old female returning from the middle-east tested positive for COVID-19 taking the overall total for confirmed cases to 95 and total for active cases to 10. They are currently quarantined at a facility in Paro.
Appeal:
a. The Ministry of Health would like to appeal to every Bhutanese to strictly abide by the COVID-19 prevention measures put in place by the government. One such critical measure is the mandatory quarantine of 21 days for all Bhutanese entering the country from an overseas travel/stay, we request every Bhutanese returning to the country to strictly abide by it or face consequences as per the laws of the land.
b. The Ministry of Health strongly urges all Bhutanese especially those residing in the southern border towns to practice effective physical distancing, good personal hygiene and proper cough etiquette, at all times.
Debunking the Dashboard:
1. Total Recovered will now reflect the sum total of ‘Recovered’ and ‘De-isolation’. This is because individuals moved to a de-isolation facility are technically clear of the virus. In most other countries, individuals testing negative on RT-PCR after being infected by COVID-19 are considered as recovered.
2. Test updates under surveillance now reflects total tests done in the communities as a part of the Ministry’s community surveillance program, and the regular tests conducted in the quarantine facilities for both RT-PCR and Rapid Tests.
Definition facility type:
a. Isolation: Isolation is basically a facility where the confirmed positive cases are kept under observation or treated after they are confirmed as positive. The isolation facility is usually a hospital except the RIGSS hostel in the case of Phuentsholing.
b. De-Isolation: De-Isolation is the 2 week long period where a confirmed positive case is kept under further observation after they test negative twice (24 hours apart) while they are in isolation. The De-Isolation facility is usually a tourist-grade hotel.
