World News | Myanmar Tightens Pandemic Restrictions

Yangon, Sep 20 (AP) Myanmar, faced with a rapidly rising number of coronavirus cases and deaths, has announced the tightest restrictions so far to fight the spread of the disease.

The measures announced on Sunday by Health Minister Dr, Myint Htwe cover Yangon, the country's biggest city and main transportation hub.

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Measures effective Monday allow just one person per household out of their homes for shopping, and two for hospital visits, although a driver is also permitted when traveling by car. Wearing face masks is mandatory.

All office staffs must work from home, while factories, finishing and construction enterprises must halt operations from September 24 to October 7.

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Personnel of essential services, including banks, gas stations, food shops and pharmacies are exempt from the order.

Travel out of Yangon was already banned and all domestic flights grounded on September 11.

Until an upsurge in coronavirus cases last month in the western state of Rakhine, Myanmar had appeared to have largely been spared from the pandemic, having recorded just 353 virus cases as of the beginning of August.

The country as of Sunday has 5,541, including 92 deaths. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)