Deadly three days pushes Arakan State’s Covid fatalities to 66

By DMG 21 Jul 2021

DMG Newsroom
21 July 2021, Sittwe 

Nearly 30 Covid-19 patients died in Arakan State in the three days from July 18-20, according to figures shown by the Arakan State-level State Administration Council. 

There were four deaths reported on July 18, 13 deaths on July 19 and 12 on July 20. 

The Arakan State death toll since the pandemic’s third wave began in May rose to 66 on July 20.
Third-wave fatalities have now far exceeded the total deaths, 37, attributed to the virus in the first two waves combined. 

Dr. Soe Win Paing, assistant director of the state’s Department of Public Health, said: “Most of the deaths had underlying diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. I have not received the exact figure of the death toll so far.” 

Cases of the virus have been reported across all 17 Arakan State townships since the third wave began. As of July 19, 22 coronavirus patients had died in Taungup, 15 in Sittwe, nine in Thandwe, six in Maungdaw, five in Kyaukphyu, three in Manaung, two in Mrauk-U, and one each in Pauktaw, Kyauktaw, Gwa and Rathedaung townships. 

Quarantine centres have been set up to house visitors to Arakan State from townships where stay-at-home orders have been imposed, according to the state-level military council. 

The United League of Arakan, the political wing of the Arakan Army, on July 20 announced a two-week stay-at-home order from July 20 to August 4 in an effort to control the spread of Covid-19 in Arakan State. 

As of July 20, a total of 1,702 cases were recorded and 683 patients were discharged from hospitals in Arakan State since the pandemic’s third wave began.