Preventive Measures: COVID-19 Control Activities Carried Out Across Rakhine State

Ministry of Health and Sports together with international health organizations have been working closely for the preventive and control measures against COVID-19 outbreaks across the country.

The Department of Health in Rakhine State has also been working for the preventive processes by distributing pamphlets, sharing health knowledge and posting vinyl about COVID-19 disease at the public areas since the outbreak has spread around the world. 

Deputy Director, Department of Health (Rakhine State). Dr. Soe Win Paing said “According to the instructions of Ministry of Health and Sports, the Health Department in Rakhine State has been working for the preventive processes against COVID-19. At present, COVID-19 preventive teams are being organized with the officials from respective departments. People who returned from China are also putting on 14-day quarantine and closely monitoring.”

In regard with COVID-19 disease in Myanmar from 31st January to 16th March, , there were 131 Persons Under Investigation-PUI and 2 suspected patients, altogether 133. Out of them, 123 patients were found negative with COVID-19 disease according to the lab results, and 10 are still pending. Among them, there were 1 suspected patient and 4 Persons Under Investigation-PUI in Rakhine State and suspected patient was tested negative, it’s learnt.

Resident, Nyein Soe said “Although there have no confirmed cases in our country yet, we all need to be cautious because it has been spreading in our neighboring countries. And we have to follow health authorities’ instructions if the COVID-19 disease outbreaks in Myanmar.”  

Medical screenings and surveillance measures to prevent COVID-19 have been placing on alert at international airports, seaports as well as border crossings across the country.

According to the situation report of the World Health Organization on 16th March, the coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 152 countries across the world and there were over 167,000 confirmed cases and more than 6,600 deaths globally. In China, there were over 81,000 confirmed cases with more than 3,200 deaths. Outside of China, there were over 86,000 confirmed cases with more than 3,300 deaths.