The Chin State government is ramping up preventative measures in response to the recent coronavirus outbreak in neighboring Rakhine State. The government said medical checkpoints will be installed at all major entry points to towns, where they will take temperatures and scrutinize citizens’ travel history.
After the numbers of confirmed cases exploded in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State, Soe Htet, spokesperson for the Chin State government, said the government is taking immediate action to prevent an outbreak in Chin State.
“When the infection rate was decreasing, people did not want to pay attention to the coronavirus. Authorities didn’t set up checkpoints. But now that cases have dramatically increased in Rakhine State and popped up in other areas, we’re reintroducing medical checkpoints to stop the spread of the virus.”
Everyone passing through checkpoints will have their body temperature measured and their travel history recorded, he said. And all travelers coming from COVID-19 affected townships will be quarantined.
Soe Htet said authorities are monitoring restaurants and shops to ensure they’re complying with guidelines set by the government’s Ministry of Health and Sports (MoHS).
More than 10 townships in Rakhine State reported infections after a bank employee in Sittwe tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on August 16. From Tuesday (August 25) to Wednesday (August 26) there was a record of one hundred confirmed cases, mostly in Rakhine State. The government has announced a partial lockdown in Sittwe with residents ordered to stay at home.
On August 28, MoHS reported 628 cases, while 349 were recovered and six died. Since the pandemic began, 149,861 citizens have been tested.