Yangon – Myanmar’s COVID-19 cases exceeded 90,000 on Monday, with around 10,000 cases since Nov. 23, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports.
On Monday, Myanmar reported 90,713 COVID-19 cases, including 1,941 fatalities and 70,156 recoveries.
Last month, the health ministry requested residents stay at home and avoid gatherings as the cooler weather is likely to boost the spread of COVID-19.
However, Myanmar saw hundreds of people visiting parks and Yangon University during the Tazaungdaing holiday, despite stay-at-home orders in the city.
Many people have expressed concern about others breaching stay-at-home orders, saying gathering can boost the spread of coronavirus. People also criticized the authorities for failing to enforce the rules.
Dr. Tun Myint, deputy director-general of Yangon Public Health Department, told state-owned MRTV on Saturday that more than 500 medical staff, mostly at Yangon’s hospitals, were infected with coronavirus. Two medics have died with coronavirus.
“Most medical staff are exhausted after fighting COVID-19,” said Dr. Tun Myint.
The Central Committee for Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19 extended COVID-19 restrictions, including a ban on travel and gatherings, until Dec. 15 to contain the virus.
The committee has instructed people not to leave their states and regions unless the journey is urgent. It has also suspended domestic flights and international commercial flights while allowing only relief, cargo and special flights.
Gatherings of above 29 people are banned.
On Tuesday, the government restarted road transport administration to provide vehicle registrations.
Myanmar has imposed stay-at-home orders on about 75 townships in Bago, Ayeyarwady and Mandalay regions and Kachin and Mon states and the whole of Rakhine State and Yangon Region.
Around 1,300 to 1,500 COVID-19 cases and 20 to 30 coronavirus deaths have been reported most days.
Myanmar is now third in Asean in terms of COVID-19 cases, behind Indonesia and the Philippines.
Since mid-November, Myanmar is seeing another COVID-19 spike after large gatherings in cities marking the National League for Democracy’s electoral victory. Previously, COVID-19 cases flattened at around 1,000 per day.
Cases have been reported in more than 200 townships across 15 regions and states with Yangon remaining the country’s chief COVID-19 hotspot, reporting 67,007 cases on Monday.
Currently, Mandalay Region is the second-worst hit with 6,077 cases, followed by Bago Region with 5,246 cases, Rakhine State with 3,684 cases and Ayeyarwady Region with 2,995 cases.
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