Shan State ministers were home quarantined after several members of their team recorded high temperatures during a trip to northern and eastern Shan State during the Burmese New Year.

Soe Soe Zaw, the secretary of the Shan State government, told SHAN the ministers had their nasal and throat swabs sent for testing at the National Health Laboratory in Yangon yesterday, the only facility outfitted to test for COVID-19.   

The chief minister and several other state ministers and officials were observing some of the food packages being donated during lockdowns and visiting hospitals in Kengtung, Tachileik and Mong Yawng when a driver and the close protection officer for the chief police commander of Shan State recorded high temperatures. They are receiving medical treatment in the Kengtung hospital.

Dr Lin Htut, chief minister of Shan State; Sai Swam Hseng, municipal minister of Shan State; Khun Ye Htwe, transportation minister of Shan State; Dr Myo Tun, social minister of Shan State; Dr Aung Than Maung, minister of Bamar ethnic affairs of Shan State; Sai Lon Hseng, speaker for Shan State Parliament and the chief police commander of Shan State are in quarantine.

On April 22, there were 121 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Burma. Seven have recovered from the disease and five died. With low testing and poor medical infrastructure, some health experts worry the numbers of infections could be much higher than what has been confirmed.