COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan
| COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan | |
|---|---|
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Bhutan |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China |
| Index case | Paro |
| Arrival date | 6 March 2020 (5 years and 5 months) |
| Confirmed cases | 63,075[1] |
Deaths | 21[1] |
| Vaccinations | |
| Government website | |
| https://www.gov.bt/covid19/ | |
The COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The virus was confirmed to have reached Bhutan on 6 March 2020, when a 76-year-old American tourist who had travelled from India tested positive for COVID-19.[2]
The King of Bhutan addressed the nation on 22 March 2020, telling citizens "As a small country with a small population, we can overcome any challenge we are faced with, if the people and the government work together."[3]
The country subsequently implemented strict containment measures, and was able to largely stamp out the outbreak.[4] Bhutan currently has the lowest case fatality rate for COVID-19 at 0.05%, which is significantly lower than the WHO's global case fatality rate of 4.34%, and lower than SARS of 2003.[5][6] However, the transmission has been significantly greater.[5][7]
- ^ a b c d e Mathieu, Edouard; Ritchie, Hannah; Rodés-Guirao, Lucas; Appel, Cameron; Giattino, Charlie; Hasell, Joe; Macdonald, Bobbie; Dattani, Saloni; Beltekian, Diana; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Roser, Max (2020–2024). "Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)". Our World in Data. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Together we can defeat COVID-19". Royal Government of Bhutan. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ Drexler, Madeline. "The Unlikeliest Pandemic Success Story". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ a b "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. 13 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
- ^ "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.