Days after departing Laos, Myanmar worker tests positive for COVID-19

A Myanmar labourer working at the Triangle Special Economic Zone in Bokeo province tested positive for COVID-19 days after arriving in Myanmar, according to an official report.
Authorities in charge have investigated and tracked those workers at the zone who associated with the infected Myanmar victim and had their samples tested. All turned out to be negative, Bokeo provincial committee for COVID-19 prevention and control said in its notice issued on July 10.
According to the notice, on June 24 the zone management committee repatriated 184 Myanmar nationals working at the zone back to Myanmar, including the infected victim who tested positive days after his arrival.
All the returnees were quarantined in Yangon along with other Myanmar workers coming back from numerous countries.
On July 4, the Foreign Affairs Department of Bokeo province received a report from Myanmar authorities that one Myanmar worker who returned from Laos had tested positive together along with six others who returned from other countries.
The other six infected victims comprised three who returned from Bangladesh and one each returning from Thailand, Singapore and India.
In light of the report, Bokeo provincial committee for COVID-19 prevention and control in collaboration with the district committee in charge and the zone executive board investigated and collected information at the zone.
Those workers associated with the Myanmar victim were isolated and had their samples tested and all were negative.
However, the provincial committee for COVID-19 prevention and control issued the notice asking all sectors within the province to continue exercising vigilance and attaching great importance to preventive measures the government has imposed to ensure the disease is averted.
There had been no new case of COVID-19 infection in Laos for 91 consecutive days as of July 10, according to the National Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
(Latest Update July 13, 2020)