Three people tested positive for COVID-19 in eastern Shan State’s Kengtung District after coming to the area from Rakhine State to work on a banana plantation.
They traveled to Yangon from Rakhine State on August 5, and flew to Kengtung on an Air Thanlwin flight before traveling to the plantation in the Siluu area of Mong Yang Township on August 9.
“Six people came together from Rakhine State. That’s why we tried to test them,” Dr. Ba Soe Thet, the deputy director of eastern Shan State’s public health department, told SHAN. Rakhine State has seen a surge in cases of the coronavirus in recent weeks.
“Among the six people, three people tested positive for COVID-19. They are from Rathedaung, Ponnagyun and Mrauk-U,” Dr. Ba Soe Thet said, adding that they “didn’t show any symptoms.”
The individuals were placed in a quarantine facility in Siluu and will next be sent to a hospital in Kengtung for treatment and monitoring.
The banana plantation where they were employed has 60 other workers. A medical team is expected to test them all. Authorities are also carrying out contact tracing regarding their travel to Kengtung last month.
On Monday, Burma’s Ministry of Health and Sports had reported 1,464 confirmed cases of COVID-19, eight deaths, and 385 recoveries in the country.
