Coronavirus outbreak: Eight Indian tourists quarantined in Bhutan

Bhutan, on Friday, has confirmed its first case of the coronavirus, a 76-year-old from the United States, with a travel history to India.

The patient had arrived in Bhutan from Guwahati on March 2, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering office confirmed in a statement. “We would like to inform the general public that one positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed at 11 PM on March 5,” Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan said in an official statement.

“The patient is a 76-year-old from the United States of America, who had come to Bhutan as a tourist. He had entered the country from Paro International Airport, after embarking Drukair flight KB241 from Guwahati, India on March 2,” it further said.

The patient had been touring India before arriving in Bhutan, and had come into contact with eight Indian nationals on his trip.

“The patient was touring India from February 21 to March 1. He had started his travel from Washington DC on February 18. The patient was travelling with his partner, aged 59. There were 10 passengers on board, of which eight others were Indian nationals,” Bhutan’s Ministry of Health said.

Patient quarantined

The eight Indian passengers that the patient had come in contact with have now been quarantined. The government of Bhutan is working closely with the Indian Embassy.

The patient who suffers from chronic hypertension, and was on medication for the same, has been isolated and kept on oxygen support.

Over 90 contacts of the patient have also been traced. His close contacts include his partner, driver and the guide who are all asymptomatic for now, and have also been quarantined.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday confirmed 30 coronavirus positive cases in India while testing of 92 more samples is on and the status of another 23 samples is being reconfirmed. A total of 3,542 samples are being tested for COVID-19.

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