By Hseng Leng/SHAN

An eight-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling in eastern Shan State this Thursday, November 26. Although it’s unclear how the boy contracted the virus, he was exposed to another confirmed case in the border town of Tachileik where he lives.

The child was in Kengtung with his family for several days when a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) confirmed he had the disorder. 

Dr Lin Htut Oo, deputy head of eastern Shan State Health Department, told SHAN the child had contact with 37 people, including his six family members. The other 31 frequented a restaurant near the Buddha Garden in Kengtung. As a precautionary measure, authorities have isolated everyone. 

The boy was staying at a hotel in town with his family until November 20. None of the other guests were quarantined. 

Since the pandemic started, there’s been 17 transmissions detected in Tachileik. Currently, there are 3 people with COVID-19 receiving medical treatment in the hospital in the border town. 

The Ministry of Health and Sports confirmed there were 85,205 confirmed cases in Burma on November 26, while 64,645 have recovered from the disease and 1,846 died from the disease.