Arakan State reports over 1,100 virus cases with 29 deaths

By DMG 16 Jul 2021

DMG Newsroom
16 July 2021, Sittwe 

A total of 1,151 people in Arakan State were infected with coronavirus as of July 16, and 29 people statewide have died during the pandemic’s third wave, according to data compiled by the Arakan State-level State Administration Council. 

U Than Tun, a member of the Arakan State SAC, told DMG that action has been taken against those who do not wear masks in Sittwe since July 14 due to the rising number of Covid-19 infections. 

“For first-time [violators], those who do not wear masks will be fined K500 and given a mask. After that, those who do not wear masks will be punished in accordance with the law,” he added. 

Confirmed Covid-19 cases have now been reported in all 17 Arakan State townships.  

Of the virus-related fatalities to date, Taungup Township has reported the most, with the death toll there standing at eight. Thandwe was second with six, Sittwe and Maungdaw have each reported five, Kyaukphyu has seen three dead and Mrauk-U and Gwa have each recorded one fatality.  

Dr. Soe Win Paing, assistant director of the Arakan State Department of Public Health, urged the public to follow the regulations imposed by the Ministry of Health and Sports to prevent the spread of Covid-19, such as not assembling in groups of more than 50 people; not going outside for non-essential reasons; maintaining a social distance of at least six feet; wearing a face mask when outside the home; and washing hands frequently. 

“The health department wants to send a message to the people that they ought to protect themselves and that they should wear masks when they go out. I also want them to avoid crowded places,” he said. 

Ko Zaw Zaw Tun, secretary of the Rakhine Ethnics Congress, told DMG that people in the populous Arakan State capital Sittwe do a good job of wearing masks outside their homes, but are weak to follow regulations against crowds and mandating that food be sold for takeaway only. 

Since Myanmar’s first case was reported in March 2020, the country had recorded 212,545 total Covid-19 infections as of Thursday evening, with 4,346 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports.