Street food stalls in some townships across Yangon Region have been temporarily prohibited from operating for three to five days amid an outbreak of diarrhea, according to the respective township administrations.

Beginning August 13, street food vendors in Kyauktada Township have been banned from selling food for three to five days due to the outbreak. The township administration said the date for resuming sales would depend on the disease situation.

Similarly, following reports of diarrhea cases in Latha Township, local departments, municipal officials, Red Cross members, ward administrators and regional parliamentarians held a meeting and decided to temporarily close shops selling homemade pickles, salads, and pork and vegetable offal skewers believed to be associated with diarrhea cases. The shops will be closed for two to three days, according to regional parliamentarian Daw Aye Mya Thae Phyu.

As of the evening of August 12, 170 diarrhea patients had been hospitalized at Yangon General Hospital, with 93 testing positive for cholera, according to reports.

Daw Aye Mya Thae Phyu said 97 people from several Yangon townships were hospitalized with diarrhea on August 11, while another 84 patients were admitted on August 12.

A total of 94 patients have tested positive for cholera, while 11 patients recovered and were discharged from the hospital on August 12.

Patients diagnosed with cholera are being treated separately in a dedicated ward at Yangon General Hospital with antibiotics and other necessary medications, the MP said.

She added that preparations were underway to install additional beds and spray disinfectants in a new ward at the hospital in case the number of cholera patients increases.

The hospital has also conducted inspections and cleaning of water pipelines in cooperation with the Yangon City Development Committee, including spraying disinfectants in and around the homes of people diagnosed with diarrhea and cholera, she said.