Three more cases of COVID-19 in Sittwe, including NGO staff and family of bank employee

Ein Soe Hpyu

Narinjara News, 20 August 2020

Three more people were found to be infected with the coronavirus in Sittwe on August 19, amongst them an NGO worker and two family members of a bank employee.

Of the three, who are all women, patient 377 is a 23-year-old from Pauktaw who currently lives in Mizan Strand Road in Sittwe and works for an INGO. The other two are family members of a CB Bank employee, according to Sittwe Hospital Superintendent Dr Zaw Lwin told Narinjara.

"They had a fever and came yesterday and were tested immediately. We found out this morning. The two family members of the CB Bank staff are not related to the CB Bank staff who has tested positive, patient 375. They are family members of a bank employee, but they are separate. It is not yet known how it happened,” said Dr. Zaw Lwin.

Patient 377, a 23-year-old woman, is currently being treated at Sittwe General Hospital, having been admitted on August 18 with a fever. Two members of the bank employee’s family were diagnosed with the virus when they were examined while in quaratine.

"Patients 378, who is 37 years old and patient 379, 45 years old, are among the patients who under observation in quarantine at Sittwe Hospital,” said Dr. Zaw Lwin.

The Ministry of Health announced that three women had tested positive for the virus three days after the 26-year-old CB Bank employee was found to be infected with the coronavirus in Sittwe on August 16 at 8 pm.

All three patients, the 23-year-old woman, the 51-year-old woman and the 45-year-old woman have no history of travelling abroad and have not come in contact with people who have tested positive for the virus.

With now up to four people who have tested positive for Covid-19 virus in Sittwe, the Rakhine State Development Minister, U Win Myint, did not respond to calls this morning to how they would control the virus.

According to the Ministry of Health and Sports, nearly 100 people associated with the patients are being monitored and samples are being taken to be tested.

Locals are particularly concerned about the virus spreading amongst non-monitored patients.