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Covid-19 positive girl in Dharamshala asymptomatic, shifted to district quarantine facility

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McLoed Ganj town in Dharamshala (Photo courtesy onmycanvas)
McLoed Ganj town in Dharamshala (Photo courtesy onmycanvas)

By Tenzin Dharpo

DHARAMSHALA, June 22: A 19-year-old Tibetan girl who tested positive for Covid-19 has been shifted to the district institutional quarantine facility in Dadh near Chamunda in Kangra district, after test results on Sunday confirmed her infection to the virus.

The Tibetan girl reached Dharamshala on June 8 and was quarantined at the Shongseb building near Gangchen Kyishong. She came from Delhi, one of the worst hit regions in India. She is asymptomatic and healthy at the moment, sources said.

CTA Health Secretary Palden Dhondup told VOA that fellow Tibetans in the Shongseb quarantine facility will have to be kept in the prolonged quarantine for two more weeks, as per standard guidelines. He urged Tibetan communities to refrain from discriminating against Covid-19 patients and their families.

So far, there are 100 Tibetans in various institutional quarantine facilities operated by the CTA around Dharamshala such as Shongseb building, Tibetan reception center complex and Sherab Gatsel Lobling as well as those in home quarantine in areas situated further from McLeod Ganj like Sarah.

According to the Covid-19 data maintained by the CTA, there have been 30 total confirmed cases of Tibetans in India, Nepal and Bhutan of which there are 15 active cases, 13 recovered and 2 deaths. In contrast, there have been 213 of confirmed cases of Tibetans abroad, of which there are 40 active cases, 165 recovered and 8 deaths.

A comparative analysis reveal that Sonamling Tibetan settlement in Ladakh has the most number of cases in any Tibetan settlement in India with most of them returning from other parts of India such as Delhi recently. However, all but one case of the total nine have recovered as of June 19, a Phayul source from Ladakh reported.

Last week, CTA’s Health Department said that 750 Tibetans have been tested. “Although the prevalence of COVID -19 in Tibetan community are fewer compared to the cases in India. CTA calls for individual action to continued practice of preventive measures adhering to CTA and respective State COVID-19 guidelines,” the official report read.

 

 

 

 

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