Bhutan in National Lockdown

Bhutanese woke up to a grim reality yesterday morning, as a national lockdown was announced by the government via their Facebook page. Titled as 'Urgent Notice', it didn't mince words as movement of people and vehicles within or beyond Dzongkhags (Districts) were restricted unless authorized. The lockdown protocol was swiftly put into action, as enforcing officers mainly the Police and volunteer Desuups were tasked to patrol the silent towns and cities.

Background

This lockdown was triggered by a 27-year-old female testing positive during her routine check up at a flu clinic in Gelephu on August 10. She had recently returned from the Middle East, and had been quarantined at Paro for 30 days after her arrival to Bhutan. The quarantine protocol for people entering Bhutan is 21 days in a state-sponsored hotel facility. 

While in quarantine, she tested negative five times for PCR test, while testing positive thrice for rapid test (IgG), thus her quarantine was extended for a further week. All through, she was asymptomatic.

On 26th July on the final day of her quarantine, she was released from Quarantine at Paro after testing negative on PCR. But when she went to the local flu clinic at Gelephu on 10th August, she tested positive on PCR.

Gelephu is around 285 kms away from Paro. The suspected Patient-Zero had spent some time in Thimphu before travelling to Gelephu in a taxi.

Empty Norzin Lam at Thimphu. Photo: Business Bhutan

Simulation

Coincidently, just  a few days earlier, a tabletop simulation (mock drill) had been conducted in Thimphu to assess Thimphu Thromde's preparedness and its potential to handle a local transmission and a lockdown. And that simulation had been reported by the media house Kuensel, which was largely misunderstood as being the real deal.

"The health ministry’s IT team also begins tracing contacts through the Druk Trace app. All contacts are then quarantined." This was reported in the simulation drill, but in reality the suspected Gelephu case hadn't used her Druk Trace app at all. All contact tracing had to be done through memory.

Preparedness

Thimphu Thromde was already prepared. Likewise, other Dzongkhags and Thromdes were also ready, with protocols in place and food in stock. The local task force was sprung into action. The orange brigade were also quickly mobilized for duty. Within hours, the social media was flooded with contact of details of emergency staff and task force members to be contacted if needed. Other services like ration-depots were activated.

The only ones who were not prepared were the public. They slept to a normal night, and woke up to an eerie morning. People were stuck in various places, amidst various activities; some at friends place, some families separated, some on treks, few in hotels. 

The towns were silent, only the Police and Desuups out on duty. People went online, sharing news, gossips, photos and complaints of the lockdown. There was also a strong call to release the identity of the Gelephu woman, with a fake photo also doing the rounds on social media. 

A Desuup at his guard post along the border. Bhutan closed the international border since March. Photo: Desuung Facebook page.

Second Case

And just as the day dragged on, another positive case was detected at Phuntsholing. This time it was a young man working as a loader at the Regional Revenue & Customs Port in Phuntsholing. He went to the local hospital on 11th August with suspected symptoms, and his results came in positive today. Around 183 of his primary contacts have been traced so far. 

What makes this trickier is that he along with friends are already working in a closed environment, with no physical contact with anyone and strict social distancing at the workplace. 

What Now?

The lockdown period has been declared by the government as indefinite. But now what? The economy is in shambles. Tourism and hotel industry are in ruins. Schools are effectively closed for months, and our students are not learning properly. Offices are running in low gear, as many civil servants volunteer for a greater cause. Farmers are feeling the brunt as their crops don't find markets. Young people are returning to Bhutan, especially from the Middle East. And they are an addition to the already unemployed figures in the country. 

The DNT lead government is also being criticized for its tobacco debacle by the PDP. And the opposition leader has resigned for greener pasture.

Police and Australian Defense Force patrol the empty streets of Melbourne. Photo: Nytimes

Afterthought

And here in Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, the Premier (Chief of State) is being grilled in his Quarantine-Management fiasco, which has lead to a second wave of Covid-19 community transmission leading to a Level 4 lockdown of Victoria, with more than 15,500 infected till date and half of them recovered. Sadly 267 lost their lives. The lockdown here is almost similar to what's happening there in Bhutan, except face covering is mandatory. And the fines for quarantine and lockdown breach are exponentially high, almost equivalent to Nu. 10,000 for not wearing masks, Nu. 85,000 for breaching lockdown, and Nu.265,000 for breaching quarantine. Tad too high, I might say, but necessary to deter the public.

But interestingly, the Premiere declared a state of emergency back in March, before the first Level 3 restrictions. Else his hands would be have been tied in implementing the lockdown protocols.