The COVID-19 Control and Emergency Response Committee needs to enhance coordination for undertaking suitable tasks, said Chairman of the Committee Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win at the fifth coordination meeting of the committee at the SAC Chairman Office in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday evening.
The Vice-Senior General continued to say that as variant COVID-19 breaks out not only in neighbouring countries but in Myanmar, it is necessary to overcome the challenges without fail. Individual preventive measures must be taken and vaccination must be given for rapid mitigation of the infection rate of the pandemic.
During the visit to Russia, the Chairman of the State Administration Council agreed to buy 2 million units of COVID-19 vaccine and bought three PCR machines to test the virus. Such a machine can test up to 140 persons within one and a half hours. Likewise, the Ministry of Health and Sports is trying to purchase vaccines from China. On 29 June, 1,312 positive patients were found, accounting for 15.94 per cent. Hence, it is necessary to provide treatment to patients at the hospitals as well as extend more quarantine centres. Preventive measures of the disease must be taken at schools for disinfection over the students. The Vice-Senior General urged them to raise the campaign of wearing facemasks in wards, towns, townships and regions and states.
The Ministry of Health and Sports and the Tatmadaw are increasing the production of face masks for the people. The facemask wearing campaigns must be raised in stay-at-home townships.
Secretary of the committee Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Soe Htut explained infection of the disease in second and third waves, treatment and death rate, infection of staff of ministries in Nay Pyi Taw and preparations of facility quarantine for foreign returnees.
Participants of the meeting discussed testing, treatment and death in the disease, infection of disease in neighbouring countries, information for control of the disease, preparations for quarantine centres, preparations of the Tatmadaw to assist in treatment and control of the disease, supply of oxygen, directives for religious edifices, nunneries and monasteries to abide by the COVID-19 restrictions, vaccination for drivers and staff, providing social security assistance to infected workers, temporary closure of schools in stay-at-home townships, distribution of aid for prevention of disease at the schools, systematic supervision for SOP/guidelines, giving health training to volunteers and provision of health aid.
The Vice-Senior General gave a concluding remark at the meeting.—MNA
