The construction of a new quarantine center in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, has been accelerated as the commercial city struggles to contain the first major outbreak of the disease. Overwhelmed medical staff are worried about thousands of new cases.
Myanmar has one of the most rudimentary health care systems in the world, but until recently, it has been relatively unaffected by the global outbreak.
Myanmar had accumulated fewer than 400 confirmed cases and only six deaths as of last month.
But the new cases in the west are rapidly spreading to other parts of the country, doubling weekly to more than 9,000 cases today. In the next few days, the number of confirmed cases in Myanmar is expected to exceed 10,000, and the current number of deaths from the disease is 174.
Yangon accounts for the majority of confirmed cases in the country, and many are concerned that the current reinstatement of strict lockdown measures will deal a blow to the livelihoods of the poor people of Yangon.
Yangon currently has about 6,000 people in quarantine, and according to official media reports today, seven new quarantine facilities have been built to accommodate an additional 1,000 people.
A doctor at a clinic in Yangon said, “We estimate that there are 10,000 suspected cases. Medical professionals around Yangon are “exhausted,” he said.
Residents were told to stay home unless they were working in certain key industries or traveling to buy food and medical supplies.
Domestic travel from Yangon to the rest of the country has been banned, and the ban on commercial flights on international routes has been extended until the end of October.
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