Of the 181 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in southern Shan State, there are 50 remaining patients receiving medical treatment, according to the deputy head of the state’s public health department.

Dr Zawana Ko told SHAN that 131 patients have been discharged from medical care at hospitals.

On Tuesday, November 17, a person acquired the virus locally, as he had no known travel history. After coming into contact with someone with COVID-19, the patient lost their sense of smell. He checked himself into a hospital in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, where he was tested.

“When doing contact tracing, we discovered there were at least 14 people who had contact with the patient,” Dr Zawana Ko said, explaining that he went outside and played football.

More than 600 homes in the patient’s village in Ywar Ngan Township, located in southern Shan State, are locked down.

Since the elections, transmissions have increased across the country.

Dr Zawana Ko told SHAN because of the rapid test kit they can test more people and as a result are detecting more cases.

But people aren’t adhering to social distancing regulations as they did when the virus was first discovered in the country in late March.

“People aren’t following health guidelines during the second wave of COVID-19,” Dr Zawana Ko said. Many wore face masks during the first outbreak. But now they’re not bothering to use them. They’re not getting tested when they feel sick or cooperating with health officials, he said.

The Ministry of Health and Sports reported 73,322 confirmed cases on November 18, while 54,274 recovered from the disease and 1,625 died.