Commentary: Has Myanmar been in denial over COVID-19 outbreak all this while?

Myanmar also has about 27 land checkpoints between Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand although not all are open to foreign visitors. But approximately 200,000 foreign visitors used Myanmar’s land borders each month last year.Myanmar took very few early steps to stem the entry of visitors from infected regions.

After entering Myawaddy town in Myanmar - which borders Thailand's Tak province - migrant labourers walk past temperature scanners and are questioned by nurses about their health. Moreover, thousands of migrant workers have returned to villages across the country from Thailand over this week.Myanmar’s poor healthcare infrastructure will make it very challenging for the country to deal decisively with the outbreak.

Health service coverage has been poor, with 13 out of 15 states having less than the WHO recommended minimum of one doctor for every 1,000 residents. If the virus spreads more widely and quickly, Myanmar’s healthcare system will be hard pressed to cope up with the intensity, especially in further flung rural areas.The truth is that in a globalised world, with more people, goods and services crossing national borders, Myanmar, like any other country around the world, is susceptible to the COVID-19.

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