By Hseng Leng/SHAN

A female patient in critical care is among 30 cases of COVID-19 in Muse, located in northern Shan State. The patient traveled to the border town from Yangon before testing positive.

Thaung Tun, from Muse’s Garuna Social Association, told SHAN she stayed at two guest houses for about a week before testing positive. She is receiving medical treatment at the Muse Public Hospital.

After the case was discovered the guest houses were closed. Four people in contact with the patient have been placed in quarantine. At the time of reporting they haven’t been tested for the virus, according to Dr Han Naing Soe from the Muse Public Hospital.

Because the patient stayed in guest houses for six days, locals fear an outbreak. Health officials are still conducting contact tracing to determine how many people came into contact with the woman.

She traveled to Muse after receiving a health recommendation letter in Yangon. Rumors are circulating she paid a bribe for the letter, although there’s no evidence to support these allegations.

Of the 30 active transmissions in Muse, only two patients are receiving medical treatment in the hospital. 

In Burma, the Ministry of Health and Sports reported there were 74,882 confirmed cases on November 19, while 56,663 have recovered and 1,676 have died from the disease.