A migrant worker returning from Thailand was placed in quarantine in Shan State after exhibiting symptoms consistent with those caused by Covid-19.

The Namsang township’s health department told SHAN an ethnic Pa-O male who returned to Kyauktai village in Nawng Hee village-tract on March 19 with a cough and sore throat was quarantined for 14 days.

“He’s not allowed to leave his home. Currently, his health is good,” said Nyi Nyi Aung, the GAD (general administration department) officer for Namsang township. 

Nearly 300 workers have returned to the township after Thailand locked down to prevent the spread of Covid-19 just before New Year’s holidays. Nyi Nyi Aung said the health department has been monitoring all recent returnees for signs of the virus and made some preparations for those suspected of being infected.

“We’re preparing a medical treatment area for suspected coronavirus cases. We have 8 beds in the Sanga (monk) building in the hospital and another 16 beds in another building in the Namsang hospital,” Nyi Nyi Aung told SHAN. 

Public basins for washing hands have been placed in select wards in downtown Namsang, said Nay Thaw, headman for ward-2. Thingyan (Burmese New Year) festivities have been cancelled, he told SHAN.

Since the covid-19 was discovered in December there have been 549, 576 confirmed infections and 24,887 have been killed in 199 countries according to data obtained by the World Health Organisation on March 27. There have been 128,701 recoveries. Nearly 3 billion people are under covid-19 lockdowns around the globe.