Chinese COVID-19 Specialists Arrive in Yangon

By Zaw Zaw Htwe 8 April 2020

Yangon – A Chinese medical team arrived with medicine and laboratory equipment at Yangon International Airport on Wednesday morning to assist Myanmar in combating COVID-19.

The Yunnan-based team includes 12 specialists in intensive care, epidemics, infection prevention, control and laboratory testing and traditional Chinese medics.

Myanmar’s health ministry said the team would help prevent a coronavirus outbreak and have experience of providing intensive care to COVID-19 patients.

During its 14-day visit, the team aims to share its experience and train Myanmar’s medics.

It is also cooperating with the National Health Laboratory in testing for COVID-19 with laboratory materials to test 200 people per day.

“I especially thank the team for bringing the laboratory materials that can test many people,” health minister Dr. Myint Htwe told the media at the airport.

China has managed to limit the spread of the virus and is reporting more than 3,300 deaths in total.

After a 76-day lockdown, Wuhan – where coronavirus emerged in December – reopened on Wednesday and its residents are now allowed to travel elsewhere in China.

On March 17, China supplied Myanmar with the laboratory materials to test more than 2,000 people for COVID-19.

On March 26, China also supplied 5,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE), 5,000 M95 masks and over 200,000 single-use masks, according to Xinhua.

Myanmar has 22 COVID-19 cases and has reported three deaths.