"Felt Like A Bullet, Grieved With Nation": Bhutan PM Mourns Rare Covid Death

 

Bhutan, like much of the world, has seen a surge in infections linked to the highly contagious Omicron variant.

Friday's death came on the same day health authorities reported 205 new coronavirus cases -- a national record since the pandemic began.

The kingdom has still seen fewer than 5,000 cases overall since the disease emerged two years ago, and Bhutan had already vaccinated nearly all of its adult population by the middle of 2021.

Neighbour and main trading partner India, by contrast, passed 41 million confirmed infections on Sunday.

India has also recorded nearly 500,000 deaths, the world's highest confirmed fatality count after the United States and Brazil -- though studies have suggested the country's true toll could be up to 10 times higher.