Myanmar Records Record Of COVID-19 Infections: Hundreds Of Police Commanders Positive, Dozens Of Cities Lockdown

Burmese illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Ninjastrikers)

JAKARTA - Myanmar has reportedly recorded new cases of COVID-19 infection, with hundreds of police commanders infected, as well as the military regime deciding to lock down the country's second largest city.

Myanmar's Ministry of Health reported a daily record 2,318 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, as well as 35 deaths. Making Myanmar currently recorded a total of 165,405 cases of infection with 3,419 deaths and 138,715 people declared cured.

The coronavirus outbreak continues to grow rapidly in Myanmar, along with the health system and countermeasures that have foundered since the February 1 military coup.

The positive test rate, which is more than 22 percent, is also higher than the previous peak in case numbers late last year. Citing Reuters Monday, July 5, there has been no further comment from the Myanmar Ministry of Health regarding this matter.

Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government has controlled two waves of the coronavirus with testing and quarantine programmes, and had just started a COVID-19 vaccination campaign before it was overthrown.

Meanwhile, doctors and health workers who refused to work under the Myanmar military regime joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), as a form of opposition.

Illustration of the evacuation of victims of the military anti-coup demonstration in Myanmar. (Twitter/@MizzimaNews)

In the midst of these conditions, hundreds of Myanmar policemen have tested positive for COVID-19. Where, about 150 police officers at the Yangon police promotion training center, Central Investigation Department, Insein tested positive for COVID-19 since late June, after an instructor tested positive, according to police sources, citing The Irrawaddy.

"There are 120 police lieutenants from all over the country who received training to become captains. About 114 of them tested positive for COVID-19 and if you add the instructors, there are at least 150 people," said a police officer in Yangon.

Earlier, 96 border guards in Maungdaw near Bangladesh in Rakhine State were also reported to have tested positive on July 1.

Myanmar's Ministry of Health last month announced that more virulent variants of the new coronavirus, including the Delta variant which was first identified in India, had been detected in Myanmar, warning that this would increase hospital admissions and deaths.

On Sunday, the Myanmar military regime locked down the towns of Pathein, Myaungmya and Thabaung in the Ayeyarwady Region. Meanwhile on Saturday it imposed stay-at-home orders in Homalin Township in Sagaing County, Pyin Oo Lwin Township in Mandalay County and Nawnghkio Township in Shan State. Earlier on Friday, the regime locked down seven townships in Mandalay City and the townships of Thayawady and Minhla in Bago.

To note, since late May the military regime has locked down 26 municipalities in Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago and Ayeyarwady areas as well as Chin and Shan states.

The Myanmar Coup. The editor of VOI continues to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Civilian casualties continue to fall. Readers can follow news about the Myanmar military coup by tapping this link.