The Coronavirus Has The World Shaken

Hi John,

Thank you for your mail a few hours back.

Indeed this Coronavirus is extremely worrying but like you say, July is a long way away. China is a disciplined and determined country with the resources to tackle this with grit and determination. The Chinese government has the courage and resoluteness to do what needs to be done ... so I am confident that they will contain it. My worry is other countries where the virus has found its way – these countries might lack the single-mindedness that is called for, in tackling this dangerous virus.

Bhutan is fortunate in that our government is headed by a medical doctor – he and his cabinet has initiated plans and programs on a war footing and we are certain that we are prepared and sufficiently shielded from the threat of this dangerous virus. Thus thank you for your concern but we are certain that we have been proactive enough to ward off any threat to our lives. As you have read on the TCB website, we are all braced to face this threat with caution and preparedness.

But the world must pray for China and the Chinese people – what they are currently going through deserves all our sympathy. They are the world’s biggest economy. Thus what affects them affects everybody at a global scale. The faster they resolve this virus problem, the faster our recovery will be.

As you know, Bhutan’s most important industry is tourism. I am under no illusion that we will not be hit – we will be, as a result of this outbreak. My only hope is that China will live up to its reputation for swift and determined action, and that damage to us and the rest of the humanity will be minimal, and short lived.

Bye and take care

Yeshey