Myanmar reports first confirmed cases of COVID-19

Myanmar reported its first confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Chin state and Yangon region late Monday, said a release of the Ministry of Health and Sports.

According to the results from the National Health Laboratory (Yangon) late Monday, two Myanmar nationals, who recently returned from the United States and Britain, respectively, tested positive for COVID-19.

The patients are a 36-year-old male who returned from the United States on March 13 and was being treated in isolation due to a high fever in Chin state and a 26-year-old male who returned from Britain on March 22 and was put in an isolation room in Yangon for treatment after he tested positive.

According to the ministry's release, the test results will be sent to the World Health Organization's reference laboratories for confirmation on Tuesday.

Efforts to search for people who were in close contact with the two patients are underway for further health care operations.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)