Posts in category: COVID

The Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19 has announced that Myanmar has extended the restriction on entry of travellers until 31 August to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The announcement was made by Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry. The Ministry has further extended the entry restrictions for all travellers to the end of August amid the COVID-19 pandemic. All of these restrictions were extended till 31 July 2021 earlier, but the restriction has now been extended until 31 August. Just like the previous announcements, foreign nationals, including diplomats and UN officials, who wish to travel to Myanmar by relief or special flights due to urgent official missions or compelling reasons, are asked to contact the nearest Myanmar mission for possible exceptions to certain visa restrictions.

To prevent the blowout of COVID-19 in Myanmar through air travel, the Ministry of Transport and Communication also issued a further extension of the suspension period of international commercial flights till 31 August. Myanmar has received US$69.2 million as revenue from e-Visa and over 1.7 million tourists applied for e-Visa from 2016 to August 2020, according to the official data of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population. Myanmar National Airlines, which is a state-owned airline, is planning to fly its relief flights to Manila, Singapore and Bangkok in August.

On 3 August, MAN will fly Yangon-Manila-Yangon relief flight for its passengers going to Manila, Philippines and Myanmar citizens who want to return to Myanmar. Besides, the Yangon-Singapore-Yangon relief flight will operate every Monday and Saturday in August while Yangon-Bangkok-Yangon special relief flight will run every Wednesday. Myanmar has reported a total of 294,460 COVID-19 infections, with 8942 deaths as of 31 July. At the same time, a total of 205,677 patients have been discharged from hospitals and recovered from the virus. The government authorities have also imposed a stay home order in 108 townships across the country as part of the measures to control the spreading of COVID-19 infections.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

1. With a view to the further strengthening of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar has issued the following announcements regarding temporary entry restrictions for visitors from all countries. All those restrictions were extended until 31 July 2021 by the Ministry’s announcement dated 30 June 2021.
   (a) Announcement dated 15 March 2020 regarding precautionary measures for all travellers visiting Myanmar;
   (b) Announcement dated 20 March 2020 regarding additional precautionary measures for travellers visiting Myanmar and temporary suspension of issuance of visa on Arrival and e-visa;
   (c) Announcement dated 24 March 2020 regarding additional precautionary measures for travellers from all countries visiting Myanmar;
   (d) Announcement dated 28 March 2020 regarding temporary suspension of all types of visas (including social visit visas) and visa exemption services.
2. In order to continue its effective response measures to protect the population of the country from the risks of importation and spread of the COVID-19, the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar has decided to extend the afore-mentioned entry restriction measures until 31 August 2021.
3. In case of urgent official missions or compelling reasons, foreign nationals, including diplomats and United Nations officials, who wish to travel to Myanmar by available relief or special flights, may contact the nearest Myanmar Mission for possible exception with regard to certain visa restrictions. However, all visitors must abide by existing directives issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports relating to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nay Pyi Taw
Dated: 30 July 2021

1. The Ministry of Health and Sports is carrying out COVID-19 vaccination with the following aims: –
   (a) to reduce the infection and death rates of COVID-19 in Myanmar;
   (b) to prevent the infection of COVID-19;
   (c) to mitigate the impact of the State economy based on infection of COVID-19.
2. During the period from 27-1-2021 to 21-7-2021, the health staff and the majority of public service personnel have been injected with the vaccines at full time. According to the Myanmar National Vaccine Deployment Plan drawn in accord with the guidelines of the World Health Organization, the target groups were set for vaccination on the priority.
3. Furthermore, the following target groups will soonest be vaccinated on the priority depending on the availability of the vaccines for meeting the above-mentioned aims: –
   (a) the people above 65 years old;
   (b) health personnel and private health staff who are yet to receive the vaccination despite serving the duties of prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 at frontlines;
   (c) volunteers who have not received vaccines while serving the prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19;
   (d) older people from the Homes for the Aged;
   (e) religious personnel, monks and nuns;
   (f) people’s service personnel who have not been injected vaccines;
   (g) private banking staff;
   (h) employees from private factories and industries;
   (i) staff from hotels/motels/lodges;
   (j) prisoners and inmates from jails;
   (k) personnel from private transport services (inland, aviation and marine transport);
   (l) workers from supermarkets/markets;
   The soonest vaccination will be given to those from the remaining target groups depending on the arrivals of the vaccines.
4. Those who will not be vaccinated at present are: –
   (a) those who have been vaccinated a kind of COVID-19 vaccines including COVIDSHIELD for two times;
   (b) those currently suffering from fever and symptoms of COVID-19;
   (c) the COVID-19 confirmed patients who are yet to meet six months from the laboratory test approval to the vaccinated day;
5. With regard to the incomings of vaccines and vaccination plans, a total of three million doses of vaccine arrived in Myanmar in July 2021. Three more million doses will arrive in coming August 2021. The already arrived vaccines
   will be injected into the people as quickly as possible.
6. The already arrived vaccines have been approved by the World Health Organization, and they are potent, safe and quality ones.
7. As everybody accepts vaccines for set times, better coverage of vaccines among the people will emerge the following benefits: –
   (a) the vaccines can cut off the chains of disease infection among the people and effective mitigation of bad consequences for the people to be warded, suffering from severe impacts of the disease and death rate of the disease;
   (b) when the number of infected patients among the people declines, requirements of beds at the hospitals, needs of oxygen and over workloads of health staff can be reduced; and qualified healthcare services can be given to the patients while the infection of disease can be placed under control in a short time;
8. The people are requested not to believe misinformation and rumours about vaccines; and as the vaccine is the best for themselves and their families, the people are urged to systematically participate in the vaccination programme.
9. The Ministry of Health and Sports requested retired medical professionals, medical staff, private health staff, students from medical-related universities, those from nursing and midwifery training schools and retired members of the Defence Services Medical Corps to participate in the vaccination programmes in order to fulfil human resources needed in the vaccination programmes and to have higher coverage of vaccination in a short period of time.

Ministry of Health and Sports

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Order No 217/2021

15th Waxing of Waso 1383 ME

23 July 2021

EXTENSION OF PUBLIC HOLIDAYS FOR EFFECTIVE COVID-19 PREVENTION, CONTROL AND TREATMENT ACTIVITIES

In order to break the chain of COVID-19 infection by adhering to the rules and regulations during the public holidays, the State Administration Council has issued Notification No (211/2021) to designate the successive public holidays. To contain the COVID-19 infection and return to normally as soon as possible, the public holidays are extended to 1 August from 26 July 2021 (except for the Central Bank of Myanmar and its subsidiaries – government banks and private banks) under Section 25 of the Offices Holidays and Transferrable Contracts Act.

By Order,

Aung Lin Dwe

Lieutenant – General

Secretary

State Administration Council

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

A Tatmadaw aircraft landed at Nay Pyi Taw Airport, carrying 30,000 Remdesivir drugs donated by the National Strategic Investment Corporation Co. Ltd (NSIC) to the State Administration Council from Hyderabad, India, yesterday evening.

Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Thet Khaing Win received the donated drugs from the General Manager of NSIC at the airport. The Remdesivir drugs are used for emergency treatment of COVID-19. It is the most effective medicine to reduce the death toll from the highly contagious COVID-19 virus worldwide.

It was developed by Gileat Sciences Inc. in the United States of America and is FDA-approved in the US and Europe. In addition, Hetero Labs Limited from India has purchased a production licence from Gileat Sciences Inc, to manufacture and distribute Remdesivir in developing countries. NSIC ordered 30,000 drugs worth 3 billion kyats from India and donated them to the people of Myanmar through the State Administration Council.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

The State Administration Council issued Notification No. (211/2021) on (July 14) as a long public holiday from July 17 to July 25, 2021. The statement said the State Administration Council should work to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus. July 20 and July 22 are considered as two public holidays, which are related to public holidays for control treatment.

In addition, on July 17, 2021, July 18 and July 19 (Saturday, Sunday and Martyrs’ Day) and July 21 is Eid al-Adha (Kurbani Eid). July 24 and July 25 (public holidays of Waso and Saturday and Sunday) are public holidays, the statement said. Therefore, COVID-19 infection can be effectively prevented and treated. Control The State Administration Council has declared between 20 July and 22 July as public holidays for treatment, and the State Administration Council has declared in accordance with Section 25 of the Contracts Act, which can be transferred from July 17 to July 25 as a long public holiday.

During the holidays, for effective prevention of the spread of COVID-19, the public should live in their own homes or dormitories and not travel except for duties and funerals, only shops selling meat, fish and basic foodstuffs and drinking water should be opened, to continue to provide health care services for restaurants to sell medicine and medical equipment by parcel system only, government hospitals, private hospitals and clinics; if you have to leave your home, necessary preventive measures, including nasal masks, must be worn and failure to strictly comply with the terms and conditions issued by COVID-19 will result in disciplinary action in accordance with existing laws.

Source: Daily Eleven

The COVID-19 vaccine will be given to up to 50 percent of the population by 2021, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports. Currently, one million vaccines will arrive in Myanmar this month, with more coming in the coming months, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports. At present, the Covishield vaccine purchased from Myanmar cannot be exported from India on time. Vaccines are being made available in Russia, and the public will be required to wear a nasal mask after the vaccination. Hand washing; According to the Ministry of Health and Sports, preventive measures such as separation from each other will continue.

Efforts are also being made to make the current immunizations available as soon as possible. Private health care providers and staff; Volunteers will be given priority. 300,000 people have been donated the COVID-19 vaccine Sinopharm in China, which has a population of 150,000. The vaccine is currently being administered in different regions and states. Quotas are distributed depending on the outbreak, and the priority list includes education staff from basic to higher education, with limited access to hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccines. About 1.75 million people have received the full COVID-19 vaccine in Myanmar, the Union Minister for Health and Sports said at a COVID-19 coordination meeting on July 7.

Vaccination services are also being given to target groups depending on the availability of drugs, and about 1.75 million people have received the full vaccine. The Union Minister also said that private health care organizations have been allowed to import and sell their vaccines with the permission of the Food and Drug Administration. The Ministry distributed 12 million oral masks in June 2021 and plans to distribute another five million in June 2021 to raise awareness of preventive measures among the people. These oral and nasal masks (Surgical Masks) were distributed in townships, Neighborhood Crowded markets in villages; The Union Minister said that free distribution was being carried out at places such as bus stops.

Source: Daily Eleven

14th Waning of Nayon 1383 ME

8 July 2021

1. As the variant COVID-19 is spreading across Myanmar at present, number of infected persons is on the rise day by day.
2. As such, the information was released that basic education schools (including private schools and monastic education schools) opened across Myanmar will be closed temporarily from 9-7-2021 to 23-7-2021 in order to control and prevent the spreading of COVID-19 infection in time.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

The effective period for the Temporary Measures to Prevent Importation of COVID-19 to Myanmar through Air Travel issued on 29 March 2020 by the Ministry of Health and Sports was extended up to 30 June 2021, 23:59 hours of Myanmar Standard Time, in line with the approval of the Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19. As the infection of this disease remains increasing in most of the countries, and the current effective period will be further extended with the approval of the Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19, until 31 July 2021, 23:59 hours of Myanmar Standard Time to prevent infection of COVID-19 to Myanmar through passengers of international airlines.
Ministry of Transport and Communications

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

1. With a view to the further strengthening of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar has issued the following announcements regarding temporary entry re-strictions for visitors from all countries. All those restrictions were extended until 30 June 2021 by the Ministry’s announcement dated 31 May 2021.
   (a) Announcement dated 15 March 2020 regarding precautionary measures for all travellers visiting Myanmar;
   (b) Announcement dated 20 March 2020 regarding additional precautionary measures for travellers visiting Myanmar and temporary suspension of issuance of visa on Arrival and e-visa;
   (c) Announcement dated 24 March 2020 regarding additional precautionary measures for travellers from all countries visiting Myanmar;
   (d) Announcement dated 28 March 2020 regarding temporary suspension of all types of visas (including social visit visas) and visa exemption services.
2. In order to continue its effective response measures to protect the population of the country from the risks of importation and spread of the COVID-19, the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar has decided to extend the afore-mentioned entry re-striction measures until 31 July 2021.
3. In case of urgent official missions or compelling reasons, foreign nationals, including diplomats and United Nations officials, who wish to travel to Myanmar by available relief or special flights, may contact the nearest Myanmar Mission for pos-sible exception with regard to certain visa restrictions. However, all visitors must abide by existing directives issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports relating to the pre-vention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.
   Ministry of Foreign Affairs
   Nay Pyi Taw
   Dated. 30 June 2021

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar