By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, June 9: Amidst the rising cases of Covid-19 in the Union territory of Ladakh, three Tibetans have tested positive for the virus following test results that arrived on Monday. The Chief Representative officer of the Sonamling Tibetan settlement confirmed to Phayul of the new cases.
CRO Tsetan Wangchuk told Phayul, the three Tibetans include a 68-year-old man from Jangthang Chushul, a 52-year-old man from Leh and 19-year-old male college student from Jangthang Samet. All three are in good condition and have been shifted to the special Covid-19 facility at Maha Bodhi hospital.
Wangchuk said his administration has received good support from the people of the settlement although there have been some reluctances on parts of few organizations to allow their premises to serve as institutional quarantine facility for Tibetans returning back from other parts of India.
He revealed that apart from those in home quarantine, more than 40 people have been placed in halls, restaurants, a baby room and a tuition center that serve as makeshift institutional quarantine facility, in and around the Tibetan camps in Leh.
In a positive development, the Matho monastery run by Ladakhi clergy near Leh distributed 2 kg of barley (Tib. Tsampa) and butter to every Tibetan family in Sonamling Tibetan settlement, as an act of solidarity with the refugee community there during the pandemic.
The cases in UT of Ladakh grew significantly after the influx of returnees from other countries and states within India. As of Tuesday, the number of cases rose to 108 with 50 cured and one death in UT of Ladakh. There are 57 active cases; 41 in Kargil and 16 in Leh.
On Monday, an official order categorised Kargil district as “red zone” and Leh district as “orange zone”.
