Myanmar is currently seeing clusters of Covid-19 cases in single places, and a large number of cases are reported daily as hundreds of people are being reported from those places, said retired Director General and epidemiologist Dr Soe Lwin Nyein, also a member of the technical support committee for the Ministry of Health and Sports.
“There are community transmissions. But we are seeing clusters in single places. I mean that the virus is not spreading all across the communities. Hundreds of cases are coming from a single place. So we call it a cluster case. If everybody from crowded places such as factories, hostels, markets and wholesale markets can take preventive and control measures systematically, the infection rate will fall for sure,” he said.
Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe said how long the Covid-19 outbreak will last depends on the extent of public cooperation during a ceremony to donate cash to the National Central Committee for Covid-19 Prevention, Control and Treatment on October 26.
Dr. Lwin Nyein said: “In Yangon Region, infection rate is decreasing in the East District and West District these days. But, the North District is seeing cases a little increase. The South District had few cases but it is seeing a bit increase now. It is due to geographical distribution. Infection rates are different in different places. In our country, the Yangon Region is seeing the most cases.”
In the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak, Yangon Region was the hardest hit. A stay-at-home order was imposed in all the townships except Coco Island Township on September 20.
Since October 1, Myanmar has seen an average of 31 deaths daily.
Dr Than Naing Soe, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Sports also said Yangon Region is currently seeing clusters of Covid-19 cases in monasteries, homes for the aged and factories.
“Reviewing positive cases, we came to know the point. First, it is markets. We have found many infections coming from markets. Second is monasteries and third is places like homes for the aged. By nature, those places have clusters of people living together. People from those places need to take care of themselves and follow the prevention guidelines,” the spokesperson commented.
