COVID-19: Bhutan Announces its First Nationwide Lockdown

Bhutan, which has registered the lowest number of COVID-19 cases till now in South Asia, has announced its first nationwide lockdown on Tuesday, a Reuters report said.

The announcement came after a 27-year-old Bhutanese woman tested positive after being discharged from mandatory quarantine. She also reportedly came into close contact with the people of Thimphu, the capital of the tiny Himalayan country.

The lockdown thus has been imposed to track down the positive cases, isolate them, and break the transmission at an early stage. The woman, who returned from Kuwait, had earlier tested negative for the virus before her discharge. She, however, tested positive on Monday.

The report quoted the Bhutanese government as saying, "The unprecedented lockdown is enforced to identify and isolate all positive cases, immediately breaking the chain of transmission."

The government further said, ""Everyone is asked to stay home to protect themselves and their families from the disease, should there be undetected, rampant transmission."

Bhutan till now has posted a total of 113 positive cases. Also, the country hasn't reported any death so far.