State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi said she had heard of the development of a Covid-19 vaccine and if it is certain, the vaccine will be made available as soon as possible in Myanmar.

“I have read it in the newspaper today that a Covid-19 vaccine has been developed. We don’t know whether it is certain or not. If it is true, we will make it available for our people as soon as possible,” she said.

The State Counsellor stressed the need to take care of health before the discovery of Covid-19 vaccine and follow the prescribed rules and disciplines.

“I urge people to be patient during this crisis. Please follow the rules and disciplines. Then, we will be able to overcome the problem. This is my encouragement as well as warning,” she added.

Myanmar is the 195th country to experience the Covid-19 outbreak, and till August 12, there were 360 cases, 313 recoveries, 309 patients already discharged, six deaths and around 7,000 people in quarantine.

The government is relaxing the restrictions gradually such as from a gathering of five people to that of 15 people and reopening factories, schools and restaurants.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 11 said a locally developed vaccine for Covid-19 had been given regulatory approval after less than two months of testing on humans.

Despite some concerns, Mr Putin said the vaccine had passed all the required checks, adding that his daughter had already been given it, international media reported.

Russian officials said the vaccine had been named Sputnik-V, in honour of the world's first satellite. Sputnik is the Russian word for satellite.