Covid-19 claims another victim in Sittwe

By DMG 11 Dec 2021

DMG Newsroom
10 December 2021, Sittwe 

A 74-year-old man with an underlying disease tested positive for Covid-19 on December 9 in the Arakan State capital Sittwe and died the same day, according to aid workers. 

The elderly man suffered from diabetes and was admitted to Sittwe General Hospital on Thursday with a high fever and low oxygen levels. 

Ko Min Hte Wah, chair of the Shwe Yaung Metta Foundation, said the man died at about 9 p.m. 

“We transported him to the hospital yesterday as he was severely ill and his oxygen level was lowered. The Covid-19 test came back positive, and he died soon after he was admitted to the hospital,” Ko Min Hte Wah said. 

A batch of new Covid-19 infections were reported in Arakan State from December 1-8, with 15 cases reported over the period, according to figures from the state’s Covid-19 Monitoring Group. 

Ko Min Hte Wah stressed the importance of people following Covid-19 prevention regulations.  

“Covid-19 infections have begun again now. Neighbouring countries have also reported new cases,” he said. “Other countries are taking heed of Covid-19 prevention regulations. So, people in Arakan State should wear masks and wash their hands as the Ministry of Health has advised.” 

Civil society organisations have previously warned that people in Arakan State have shown weak adherence to Covid-19 public health protocols. 

During the pandemic’s third wave in Arakan State, which began in earnest in June, a total of 5,193 people tested positive for Covid-19, 499 of whom died, according to figures supplied by the Arakan State Covid-19 Control and Emergency Response Committee on December 8. 

Infections peaked in late July and have been in decline for much of the past four months.