Three people – two men and a woman -  test positive to COVID-19 outside the quarantine facility in Thimphu.  With no recent travel history to India or abroad or without known contact with a positive patient, it marks the first local transmission in the capital.  All three suspects test positive on the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on August 6, the confirmatory test for COVID-19.  

This is the scenario presented in a tabletop simulation (mock drill) conducted in Thimphu yesterday to assess Thimphu Thromde’s preparedness and to check its potential to handle a local transmission and a lockdown.

The pseudo or fictional situation is that on August 6, two Bhutanese men reports to the flu clinic at the national referral hospital with symptoms of cough, fever and general fatigue.

One is a resident of Changzamtog and works at a grocery store in the main town. The other resides in Taba. Also on the same day, a nurse with the national referral hospital tests positive on the rapid antibody test during health ministry’s routine serosurveillance.

https://kuenselonline.com/capitals-lockdown-preparedness-put-to-test/