YANGON: Myanmar has imposed mandatory quarantine and coronavirus tests for visitors to its capital Naypyitaw after dozens more Covid-19 infections were reported on Wednesday and leader Aung San Suu Kyi warned of a “disaster for the country”.
Anyone entering Naypyitaw would be quarantined, tested, and allowed entry only if their result is negative, according to a government order published on Facebook.
People coming from the country’s worst-hit areas will be quarantined in a facility for at least seven days, said the order by the Naypyitaw Council, while others will be allowed to leave earlier if they test negative.
The majority of the cases and deaths have been in western Rakhine state, where government troops are fighting ethnic insurgents and authorities have imposed sweeping curbs on internet access. Most recent infections have been in that state’s capital, Sittwe, where officials have imposed a stay-at-home order and a curfew.
Nationwide infections
Infections have been found across the country, including in the biggest city, Yangon. Authorities imposed a partial lockdown in parts of Yangon on Tuesday, ordering residents of the worst-hit townships to stay at home other than for essential journeys. Bars and nightclubs have been closed.
Suu Kyi said those who disobeyed instructions would face punishment under the Natural Disaster Law, which carries prison terms of up to a year. “More strict action will be taken under the Natural Disaster Law. This is a disaster for the country,” she said in a video broadcast on Wednesday.