The return of thousands of Myanmar’s migrant workers from Thailand has placed our country at a high risk of spreading the COVID-19 infection.
It is not a normal situation when thousands of people return from a country which is experiencing the Coronavirus infection. The returnees might carry the Coronavirus with them and could first infect their own families, then spread the virus to others.
The Ministry of Health and Sports has reported the situation to the World Health Organization, seeking assistance in preparation to prevent a possible outbreak of the infectious disease.
Also, local authorities have been advised to enforce the 14-day home quarantine on returnees, to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. This is the best way to protect your families and local people, if you were to bring the virus into Myanmar.
Hence, health authorities in townships across the country are carrying out measures, based on the current situation we are facing today.
The situation has also demanded that the Ministry of Health and Sports take further steps to speed the works of its Central Command Centre to quickly respond for the prevention, control and treatment in a timely manner.
We are confident that if the returnees from those countries experiencing the Coronavirus outbreak strictly follow the instructions from the health authorities, we can control the spread of the exported virus.
With new aggressive restrictions, including community based facility quarantines to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the regional health authorities could take aggressive actions, in cooperation with local people, to impose the facility quarantine on returnees from Thailand. To be able to carry out the community based facility quarantine systematically, local health authorities and members of the public must strictly follow the directives laid down by the Ministry of Health and Sports.
Additionally, local health authorities are on alert to keep watch of the health conditions of the returnees from foreign countries during the 14-day home and facility quarantine period.
The role that local health officials are playing is an important part of the preparedness and response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in our country.
People are also urged to stay home and avoid large gatherings, since the virus is highly contagious._GNLM
