Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in- Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win delivers address at fourth work coordination meeting of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Containment and

Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in- Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win delivers address at fourth work coordination meeting of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Containment and Emergency Response Committee

NAY PYI TAW June 18

The fourth work coordination meeting of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Containment and Emergency Response Committee was held at the meeting hall of the State Administration Council Chairman’s Office in Nay Pyi Taw at 2 pm today, with an address delivered by Chairman of the committee Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win.

Also present were Union Minister for Defence General Mya Tun Oo, Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Soe Htut, Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung, Union Minister for Transport and Communications Admiral Tin Aung San, Union Minister for Labour, Immigration and Population U Myint Kyaing, Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Thet Khaing Win, Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Thet Thet Khaing, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Soe Tint Naing, Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Aye Tun, Director of Directorate of Medical Services of the Office of the Com-mander-in-Chief (Army) Brig-Gen Ko Ko Lwin and officials.

First, Chairman of the committee Vice Chairman of the SAC Deputy Commanderin- Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win delivered an opening speech, saying the committee was restructured on 11 February and the infection rates of the pandemic has been rising all over the world, leaving over 178.2 million people infected and more than 3.9 million people dead. Similarly, it is likely that the third wave of the pandemic has started in Myanmar and the transmission rates in neighbouring countries have increased dreadfully. Although relevant ministry are issuing notifications for prevention of COVID- 19, compliance has loosened in April and May and the number of cases has increased in the country. The pandemic started in Myanmar in March 2020 and the period from onset of the pandemic to August 2020 and the period from last August from May 2021 were designated as the first wave and second wave of the pandemic respectively.

Although the transmission rate dropped to the lowest level in early May, the pandemic resurged in Sagaing Region and Chin State in the third week of May. When genetic samples of the virus were analyzed, it was found that some patients were infected with new variants. It is said that such variants have higher infection rates, severity and hospitalization rates than the variants of the first and second waves. Myanmar recorded 146,768 cases of COVID-19 cases during the period from 23 March 2020 to 17 June 2021. A total of 133,346 patients have been discharged from hospital while 3,250 people lost their lives to the pandemic. According to statistics, 10,172 COVID- 19 patients are still receiving treatments. The pandemic can be overcome by prevention by individuals, proper prevention and treatments, sufficient medical supplies and timely receiving treatments. As the best way to prevent the pandemic is self-prevention with conscientiousness by individual members of the public, it is necessary to launch awarenessraising and educative campaigns continuously. As schools have been reopened recently, authorities are required to monitor students, parents and teachers so that they abide by the restrictions and rules systematically. The pandemic can be curbed by giving timely treatments to the patients who have been infected with the virus and informing the transmissions to their contacts.

The Ministry of Health and Sports has issued notifications for prevention of COVID- 19. As the spread of the pandemic can be curbed to some extent if authorities from various sectors supervise the compliance with the rules at different levels, it is necessary for all to cooperate. Authorities are required to monitor the public compliance with COVID-19 prevention rules. As the prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 is the national duty that must be carried out by all citizens, it is necessary for all to cooperate by setting aside political dissatisfaction, differences and personal feelings to accomplish the prevention, control and treatments of the pandemic as soon as possible.

As members of the committee possess working experience, systematic cooperation can make emergency prevention, control and treatments effective.

Although an agreement has been signed to purchase 30 million of COVID-19 vaccines from India, the vaccines have been delayed by rising transmission rates in India. Therefore, the SAC and the Ministry of Health and Sports have been exerting efforts to get the vaccines. In conclusion, the Vice-Senior General urged the participants to launch awarenessraising campaigns on vaccination programs to educate the public to trust on information released by the Ministry of Health and Sports without relying on fake news and rumours published by illegal news agencies and on social media.

Then, Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Soe Htut, Secretary of the Committee, briefed on reorganizing the committee and its 10 tasks being carried out.

Afterwards, Union Ministers General Mya Tun Oo, Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung, Admiral Tin Aung San, U Myint Kyaing, Dr Thet Khaing Win, Dr Thet Thet Khaing and Deputy Minister U Aye Tun and Brig-Gen Ko Ko Lwin briefed on situation of rising cases of COVID-19 in the world, measures being taken to respond, curb, and stop the virus and treat with the COVID- 19 patients, measures that should be taken to rapidly respond the COVID-19 within the country, measures to prevent the virus among workers and at factories and workshops, confirmed cases in regions and states, clusters of COVID-19 transmission, formation of medical team for emergency response, expansion of COVID- 19 tests at laboratories, confirmed cases based on technical methods on virus tests at laboratories, arrangements on giving medical treatment to COVID-19 patients, preparations for responding COVID-19 outbreak, quarantine procedures and measures and tasks to be carried out, cooperation with volunteers, tasks being carried out to increase awareness on health, tasks on monitoring COVID-19 transmission at border gates, raising and spending COVID-19 funds, tasks of coordination with international community regarding COVID-19, impact of vaccination, regions and places that need to be given special priorities to curb the virus and made suggestions on them.

The Vice-Senior General took part in the discussion and gave instructions.

Afterwards, the Vice-Senior General gave concluding remarks saying it was needed to practically carry out the tasks for ensuring effectiveness in implementing them.

It is required for members of the committee to inform ministries concerned of situations they experience though the situations are not concerned with them. It is required for administrative organizations concerned to conduct systematic supervision so that all the people will follow the issued restrictions on COVID-19.