Yangon – Yangon’s mayor, U Maung Maung Soe, and a regional minister have been infected with coronavirus this week and are being treated at South Okkalapa Hospital.
On Tuesday, the mayor tested positive after getting sick while conducting an inspection and COVID-19 awareness campaign at Yangon’s markets.
Another five people, including the mayor’s wife and personal assistant, tested positive after having close contact with him.
Daw Moe Moe Su Kyi, the regional minister for immigration and human resources, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that 46 people, including Yangon’s cabinet, had been tested on Thursday after having contact with the mayor.
In the tests, U Han Tun, the regional agriculture, livestock, forestry and energy minister, and three members of government staff also tested positive.
“They are in good health,” said regional minister Daw Moe Moe Su Kyi.
On Thursday, Myanmar reported 104,487 COVID-19 cases, including 2,201 fatalities and 82,813 recoveries.
Yangon has reported 74 percent of Myanmar’s cases and 92.7 percent of its deaths. It reported 73,806 cases on Thursday.
The Ministry of Health and Sports recently instructed the Yangon government to enforce COVID-19 rules after crowds gathered in the city, especially in parks, despite stay-at-home orders and bans on more than 29 people congregating in the city.
All ministers in the Ayeyarwady regional government, including chief minister U Hla Moe Aung, are in home isolation for five days after having contact with U Kyaw Myint, the municipal minister, who had been infected with coronavirus.
U Kyaw Myint tested positive on Wednesday after a trip within the region.
U Win Htay, the regional minister for electric, industry and transport, told The Irrawaddy they will be tested and work from home, following the regional health department’s suggestions.
Currently, up to 1,500 COVID-19 cases and around 25 deaths are being reported per day.
Myanmar has been seeing rising COVID-19 cases outside Yangon, where the daily cases are slowing.
Mandalay Region is the country’s second-hardest-hit region or state, reporting 8,587 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, followed by Bago Region with 6,176 cases, Rakhine State with 3,966 and Ayeyarwady with 3,638.
Myanmar is third in terms of COVID-19 cases in Asean, behind Indonesia and the Philippines.
Cases have been reported in more than 200 townships across the 15 regions and states.
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