7th Coordination Meeting: SAC Chairman Addresses The Meeting

Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing addressed the seventh coordination meeting of the prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 held at Bayintnaung Villa in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday afternoon.

In his address, the Senior General urged that careless behaviors should not be conducted despite declining of infection rate at present. Necessary preparations should be undertaken for prevention, control and treatment measures without forgetting the lessons and experiences in outbreak of COVID-19 and said the third wave outbreak of COVID-19 in Myanmar saw high infection rate in the late June this year.

However, the infection of the disease can be controlled to some extent at present thanks to holding the meetings, daily supervision of the central committee and cooperation of officials and people. The globe saw more than 202 million confirmed patients and more than 4.3 million dead persons till the night of 8 August while Myanmar faced more than 320,000 confirmed patients and over 11,000 dead persons.

Efforts must be made for ensuring a half decline of infection rate in August and further efforts to decrease the infection rate in coming months. More than 3,400 persons were infected on 1 August and over 3,200 persons on 8 August, accounting for some 30 per cent.

The infection rate could be reduced in Yangon, Mandalay and Bago regions in a short period. In observing the indicator and figure on infection, people from major cities abide by the health restrictions but those from some towns are still careless for the disease as usual.

So, officials need to raise health awareness about the disease for the people. As of last week, the prices of basic foodstuffs and household medicines have been rising. The Senior General stressed the need to avoid extreme hiking of prices over the goods. Officials need to manage no rising of prices for basic foodstuffs and personal goods because some businesspersons commit storage of goods and manipulation of prices with attempt to raising the goods prices.

Anti-COVID-19 equipment, basic household medicines and goods are allowed to be imported without any restrictions. So, it is necessary to sell these goods at fair prices.

Problems of oxygen requirements could be solved to supply oxygen to the people thanks to cooperation of the government, the Tatmadaw, social organizations, well-wishers and companies.

Next, the Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister and meeting participants reported on further measures for prevention, control and treatment of the disease, needs of supervision over easing restrictions due to declining of infection rate, medical examination and control of infection over foreign returnee citizens, arrivals of vaccines imported from foreign countries and continuous process of vaccination.

They also presented reports on distribution of vaccines to regions and states, aid from international community including ASEAN for combating COVID-19, import of oxygen and production of it at home and control of prices in sale of oxygen. In his supplementary speech, the Senior General stressed the need to distribute the arrivals of vaccines and inject it into the people in time. Priority must be given to the health staff in vaccination.

Efforts must be made for relevant ministries and medical services corps to effectively produce the prevention and treatment vaccines through traditional medicines.

Foreign returnee citizens must be systematically conducted medical check-ups and patients provided medical treatment. In his conclusion speech on vaccination, the Senior General said: “Vaccines must be distributed in a rapid manner. The already-arrived vaccines should be distributed quickly, especially to Mandalay and Yangon.

Moreover, the vaccines must be quickly sent to regions and states. If the vaccines arrive at the target areas one day earlier than the schedules, it can take preventive measures one day earlier than the planned. It is related to the medicine. Likewise, products such as foodstuffs and personal goods from respective regions must be distributed quickly and efficiently.