Covid vaccine administered at Arakanese and Muslim IDP camps in 12 townships

29 Sep 2021

DMG Newsroom
29 September 2 021, Sittwe 

The Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine Sinovac has been administered to Arakanese and Muslim IDPs in 12 Arakan State townships, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. 

About 50,000 Muslim and Arakanese IDPs from the 12 townships had been given their first jabs, Dr. Soe Win Paing, assistant director of the department, told DMG. 

About 300,000 of 1.6 million people in Arakan State have been administered the vaccine to date, and the remaining unvaccinated will be inoculated depending on the allocation of vaccine doses, he said. 

Covid-19 infection rates are decreasing in Arakan State at the moment, but people still must exercise caution to avoid contagion, the department has warned. 

People remain weak in adhering to Covid-19 regulations, said U Khaing Kaung San, executive director of the Wan Lark Foundation. 

“We see the crowds everywhere. There are a lot of people who do not wear masks. The government said it takes action against those who do not follow Covid-19 regulations, but it is not effective,” he said. 

Dr. Khin Khin Gyi, director of the Public Health Awareness Division of the Department of Public Health under the Ministry of Health, told DMG that the department is promoting its efforts to prevent and treat Covid-19 amid the virus’s third wave in Myanmar.  

“The daily Covid-19 caseload is decreasing at the moment, but it will take time to reach the lowest [acceptable] level,” she said. 

A combined 37 deaths were reported during the first and second waves of Covid-19 in Arakan State, but the death toll during the third wave had reached 468 as of September 28, according to figures from the state’s regime council. 

A total of 4,844 cases were reported in Arakan State as of Tuesday, and 4,252 of them were discharged from hospitals, according to that data.