(Reuters) – Myanmar’s health ministry reported a daily record of 2,318 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, as well as 35 deaths.
A new outbreak has grown rapidly in the Southeast Asian country, where the health system and anti-coronavirus measures have foundered since a Feb. 1 military coup.
The rate of positive tests, at more than 22%, was also higher than during the previous peak in case numbers late last year.
Reuters was unable to reach the junta-controlled health ministry for additional comment.
The elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi had brought two waves of the new coronavirus under control with a programme of testing and quarantine. It had just begun a vaccination campaign before it was overthrown.
Don't miss out on any breaking news or insightful opinions!
Subscribe to our free newsletter and stay updated on the go!
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Global Banking & Finance Review. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email.
After the army took power, doctors and other healthworkers have been at the forefront of a Civil Disobedience Movement in which they have stopped work in official positions to show their opposition to the junta.
Some people have refused to go to military hospitals for treatment or to get vaccinations as a way to show they regard the military authorities as illegitimate.
(Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Alex Richardson and Nick Macfie)
