U.S. tourist confirmed as 1st COVID-19 case in Bhutan

"We would like to inform the public that one positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed at 11:00 p.m. local time on March 5, and the result was validated at 12:30 a.m. local time on March 6," the prime minister said.

The patient is a 76-year old tourist from the United States who arrived in the country on Monday. He come to Bhutan through Guwahati, India.

According to the Health Ministry of Bhutan, the patient was touring India from Feb. 21 to March 1. He started his travel from Washington D.C. on Feb. 18.
The Patient was travelling with his partner, who is aged 59, and there were 10 passengers on board at the time he arrived in Bhutan, of which eight were Indian nationals.

His health declaration was assessed at the airport but found negative against all conditions. However, on reaching Thimphu, he visited the hospital at 3:00 p.m. local time and complained of bloaty abdomen (dyspeptic symptoms) and nausea. The patient suffered from chronic hypertension.

After spending a night in Thimphu, he traveled to Punakha with his partner and made several stops. He then returned to Thimphu on Thursday where he again visited the hospital and he was found to have fever, sore throat, cough and shortness of breath, the Health Ministry said.

He was kept under observation at the flu clinic (designated as COVID-19 hospital) and samples were collected and sent to the Royal Center for Disease Control (RCDC), the Prime Minister said. "On confirmation, he has been isolated in the COVID-19 hospital. Considering his age and underlying conditions, the patient is on oxygen support."

"Following the confirmation over 90 contacts have been traced. Health officials and other relevant agencies are in the process of carrying out primary disease management and contact tracing," the prime minister said.

Contact tracings were launched as per the patient's itinerary. It included people he associated with at all the points and stops along the way, he said.
The schools and institutions in three districts of Thimphu, Paro and Punakha where the patient visited were announced to remain closed for three weeks.