MoH holds meeting on Omicron COVID-19 variant with respective ministries

A coordination meeting on the Omicron COVID-19 variant among the ministries was held yesterday morning at the Ministry of Health. The meeting was attended by Union minister for Health Dr Thet Khine Win, Union minister for Hotels and Tourism Dr Htay Aung, Directors-General from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transport and Communications, and the Ministry of Immigration and Population.
At the meeting, Union minister Dr Thet Khine Win said the Omicron COVID-19 variant has been spread in 85 countries and has also been found in Southeast Asia and the neighbouring countries of Myanmar. He said the Department of Medical Research and the Tatmadaw Medical Research Unit have been carrying out lab tests at the WHO accredited laboratories. So far, no Omicron virus has been found in the country, he continued. The third wave of COVID-19 has been successfully controlled at present in Myanmar, with a daily detection rate of only 2 per cent, he said.
When the outbreak began to decline in the third wave of COVID-19, the Prime Minister instructed to take precautionary measures and to strictly enforce the COVID-19 rules and regulations, he continued. Since the WHO declared the Omicron variant, the Ministry of Health cooperated with respective ministries to ban visas for tourist arrivals from South African and Botswana under the guidance of the Central Committee for the Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19.
He called on the respective departments to discuss problems, weaknesses and needs that may arise in adapting existing policies to the nature of the disease. The vaccination was given priority to the hotel and tourism sector and factory operators in the target groups to minimize socio-economic impact due to COVID-19, and lockdown and hotel quarantines were facilitated with the support of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, he added.
He urged the participants to discuss the prevention of the disease from the people who arrive through airways and borders and for the cooperation in carrying out control activities if the virus is found in the country.
The Union minister for Health added the impact on the hotels and tourism sector during the previous COVID-19 waves and the need for each individual to comply with the disease prevention guidelines in living with the COVID-19 disease, as no one is safe until everyone is safe. He said his ministry will work together under the COVID-19 rules and regulations. Afterwards, the Directors-General from the respective ministries participated in the discussion.
Deputy minister for Health Prof Dr Aye Tun said the Omicron variant can enter Myanmar at any time as it has been found in the neighbouring countries and it is necessary to delay the infection as much as possible. He said policies, guidelines and changes relevant to the new variant will be made in a timely manner and respective departments will be notified in due course. — MNA