Been There, Done That: How Bhutan Has Been Shutting Down To Contain Epidemics For Centuries

Bhutan is no stranger to lockdowns to fight epidemics, and they even have a name for it — Yulsung.

For centuries, this Himalayan kingdom had imposed lockdowns on villages or provinces at the first signs of an outbreak of an epidemic.

Bhutan’s rulers — the Zhabdrung Rinpoches or spiritual heads who ruled the tiny country since the late sixteenth century and the Wangchuk royals since the late nineteenth century — have decreed Yulsung and locked down entire areas at the first signs of epidemic outbreaks.

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