The US embassy yesterday told its citizens in Yangon to expect more arrests of people who flout stay-at-home orders this weekend, as Covid-19 cases rise in the city.
The September 20 orders made by the Ministry of Health and Sports will “be more stringently enforced in the coming days by local law enforcement,” according to a statement from the embassy.
“If you must leave your home for one of the permitted activities in the September 20th order, please take extra precaution,” stated the embassy.
As of this afternoon, Myanmar has recorded 8,515 cases and 155 deaths, including a record daily rise of 1,052 infections reported yesterday.
With the majority of cases in Yangon, authorities imposed a partial lockdown meaning trips outside are limited to one person per household for shopping or two for medical treatment.
Most employees must work from home with the exception of supermarket and gas station staff along with workers in several other industries.
A 12am to 4am curfew remains in place, travel has been banned in and out of Yangon and domestic airline services have been suspended until the end of September. The government has also extended a ban on international commercial flights into the country’s airports to October 31.
Authorities have sought to cope with the impact of the virus by expanding hospital facilities and even playing with the idea of feeding all seven million Yangonites if tougher restrictions are introduced.
Yangon police arrested nearly 1,000 people in two days for breaching the curfew when the number of confirmed infections began to rapidly increase at the start of September.
