YANGON—The Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS) has warned people to follow COVID-19 guidelines in order to prevent a second wave of the pandemic in the country.
The MOHS has issued a number of warnings in the past week as people have become disenchanted and reluctant to change their behaviors now that the initial panic over COVID-19 has passed.
Many countries, including the US, Brazil, the UK, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have seen record-breaking spikes in daily COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.
Health and Sports Minister U Myint Htwe said in a statement that the people play an important role in preventing a second wave of COVID-19.
The MOHS asked individual to avoid crowded areas and to follow social distancing guidelines. The ministry also instructed people to wear facemasks when they go out. U Myint Htwe urged people to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds.
Following COVID-19 guidelines will help to contain the spread of the virus, the MOHS said in its statement.
Myanmar State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said in a video conference on Tuesday that Myanmar is still in the midst of its struggle against COVID-19, despite the fact that Myanmar has seemingly managed to contain local transmissions for weeks.
“Though Myanmar is a poor country, we manage to handle and contain the spread of COVID-19 effectively,” said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar has seen imported COVID-19 cases in recent weeks among returnees from foreign countries. As of Thursday, Myanmar has reported 318 COVID-19 cases including six deaths and 250 recoveries, according to the MOHS.
