Meeting on COVID-19: COVID-19 Control and Emergency Response Committee

Chairman of the COVID-19 Control and Emergency Response Committee Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice Senior General Soe Win addressed at the fourth meeting of the committee at the SAC Chairman’s Office in Nay Pyi Taw Friday afternoon.

Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-Senior General said that COVID-19 Control and Emergency Response Committee was reconstituted on 11 February 2021. At present, more than 178.2 million global people were infected and more than 3.9 million patients were dead across the world. Likewise, the third wave of pandemic started in Myanmar while neighbouring countries are facing a terrible amount of infectious rate. COVID-19 pandemic started infection in March 2020, and the period till August 2020 was set as the first wave of infection and the period from August to May 2021, the second wave. The infection rate declined to the lowest level in early May this year but infection resurged in the Sagaing Region and Chin State in the third week of May. In inspection, the virus of variant species was found. Such variant virus is a higher infection rate than that of the first and second waves and it is high violence and high rate of hospitalization. A total of 146,768 confirmed patients were found from 23 May 2020 to 17 June 2021, 146,768 persons were found as confirmed patients and 133,346 patients of whom recovered from the disease and 3,250 patients were dead. At present, 10,172 confirmed patients are being warded at the hospitals. Officials need to supervise students, parents and teachers to systematically abide by COV-ID-19 disciplines at the school opening period. It is necessary to make preparations for those who suffered from an infection of the virus to receive medical treatment in time and to control the infection by disclosing the contact persons. Officials need to especially supervise the people to abide by the disciplines of COVID-19. As prevention, containment and treatment of the disease is the national duty of all citizens, only when all can set aside political needs, diverse attitudes and individual wishes and participate in the tasks, will the prevention, control and treatment of the disease effectively and successfully be undertaken. Although an agreement was signed to purchase 30 million doses of COVID-19 drug from India, the availability of the drug suspended due to higher infection in India. People should believe the information of the Ministry of Health and Sports but do not realize rumours and fake news on vaccination from illegal news agencies and social networks.

Secretary of the Committee Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Soe Htut reported on reconstitution of the committee and implementation of 11 tasks of the committee. Union ministers discussed higher infection of the disease across the world, the rapid response of Myanmar to COVID-19 disease, preventive measures of COVID-19 at workers and factories, confirm results at laboratories in regions and states, an extension of laboratory tests, treatment for the patients, the continuation of quarantine process, raising of health awareness, surveillance of disease at border gates, raising of COVID-19 fund and spending, coordination with the international community, effects of vaccination, and prioritized area for control of the disease.

In conclusion, the Vice Senior General stressed the need to effectively implement the tasks. Committee members need to inform relevant ministries about the latest situation, and administrative bodies need to supervise the people to abide by press releases on COVID-19.