Myanmar’s strict COVID prevention regulations

As of July 8th, Myanmar has has a total of 316 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6 deaths. Their cases spiked in early April with a little over 100 cases appearing in a span of two weeks. But what accounts for the low case count? (If such a low case count can be trusted—many experts and observers questioned government narratives of a coronavirus-free Burma in March, and some have been skeptical of official statistics since then, suggesting they reflect limited testing capacity rather than absence of the virus.)

A key element of Myanmar’s response has been strict curfew and quarantine laws. Since March, over 500 people have been sentenced to between one month and a year in prison for violations of these laws, including children, returning migrant workers, and religious minorities. Authorities have charged hundreds for these violations, with some resulting in fines. However, imprisoning people for violating curfews, quarantine, and physical distancing have disproportionately affected certain communities and are seen as counterproductive in reducing threats to public health.

“Limiting public health risks through social distancing is crucial, but jailing people for being outside at night just adds to everybody’s risks,” Phil Robertson, a deputy Asia direction at Human Rights Watch, said. “Throwing hundreds behinds bars in crowded, unhygienic prisons defeats the purpose of containing the spread of Covid-19.”

In March, authorities announced several directives and restrictions which included a mandatory 28-day quarantine for foreign arrivals, nighttime curfews, bans of gatherings of over five people, and several township-level lockdowns.

Some citizens in villages say that they were unaware of the pandemic, as they were still affected by the internet shutdown that began a year ago due to fighting between the military and the Rakhine, an ethnic minority in the country. “With armed conflict between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army in Rakhine State amid a pandemic, it’s critical for civilians to get the information needed to stay safe,” said Linda Lakhdhir, Asia legal adviser at Human Rights Watch. Between the Scylla of armed conflict and Charybdis of coronavirus, women in Rakhine State have been particularly vulnerable.

The government had blocked many independent and ethnic news sites saying they were supplying “fake news.” However, concerns are being raised by independent rights watchdogs as these blockings prevent access to COVID-19 information, protocols on self-quarantine, and other practices to restrict the spread.

Authors: Camryn Thomas and Kevin W. Fogg

Vietnam’s Containment of COVID-19

Despite Vietnam being regarded as “highly vulnerable” to the COVID-19 pandemic because it shares a border with China, it was among the first to lift virtually all domestic containment measures due to a lack of cases. Vietnam used a cost-effective containment strategy resulting in having only 352 confirmed cases and zero deaths over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, in a population over near 100 million people.

Many wonder about the country’s success, and it can be attributed to their experience with previous outbreaks like SARS in 2003. The Prime Minister prioritized health over economic concerns, and the strategy was successfully deployed with the help of the military, public security services, and grass-root organizations. Through the country was not immune to the economic impact of COVID-19, it is expected to be milder than most countries in the region, as lockdown measures have already been lifted, allowing for businesses to resume operations.

When the World Health Organization (WHO) received reports from China back in December 2019 of “several cases of an unusual pneumonia,” Vietnam finalized a health risk assessment. “Vietnam responded to this outbreak early and proactively. Its first risk assessment exercise was conducted in early January – soon after cases in China started being reported,” Kidong Park, the WHO’s representative to Vietnam said. By the end of January, the Ministry of Health had issued outbreak prevention and detection guidance, and the country issued its National Response Plan and established a National Steering Committee on Epidemic Prevention. Strict containment measures like airport health screenings, physical distancing, travel bans on foreign visitors, public event cancellations, and a 14-day quarantine period for international arrivals were gradually adopted. Schools have been closed since January. The shutdown on non-essential services and strict restrictions of movements were imposed nationwide for three weeks in early April.

Wearing masks in public is strictly enforced, violators could face 9-month prison sentences for violations. Those not wearing a face masks who are found to have infected another person could face up to 12 years in prison.

Many countries with advanced economies around the world adopted mass-testing strategies, while Vietnam focused on high-risk and suspected cases, conducting only 350,000 tests (less than 1 percent of its population). The confirmed tests had a 1 in 35 ratio, the highest in the world, and as a result, the country used extensive contact tracing, and isolation and quarantining for up to third-tier contacts. To help limit transmission, the groups who lived near confirmed cases were tested and isolated swiftly, and would sometimes include entire villages and neighborhoods. Nearly half a million people were subject to vigorous quarantining either at home, or in state-run facilities and hospitals; those who were in hospital care got treatment and quarantine free of charge.  This early containment and use of already existing public and military facilities proved to be cost effective.

Author: Camryn Thomas

South Korea’s response to COVID-19, with Prof. Ji-Yeon Jo

The Carolina Asia Center’s director, Prof. Ji-Yeon Jo, was interviewed by the department chair of Asia and Middle East Studies, Prof. Morgan Pitelka (also a former CAC director) about the way that South Korea has managed its response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. This video interview comes from the DAMES series “Forty for Forty.”

Japan’s Preparation for Second Wave

Public officials and private companies across Japan are working on ways to prepare for a second wave of coronavirus infections. Currently, there have been over 17,000 people who have tested positive, and over 900 people have died in the country.

This preparation includes the addition of another 18 countries to Japan’s entry ban list, expanding the list from 111 to 129. While Japan adds countries such as Cuba and Lebanon, they consider easing the entry ban for Thailand, Australia, and another two nations.

The country tries to boost testing numbers as companies work together to speed up the manufacturing process for test kits. Fujirebio, along with two major electronics firms, will help expand capacity to create its nation tests. These kits can identify an infection much faster than PCR tests, with results in around 30 minutes. Toshiba will provide assistance and space to make the kits, while Hitachi will help make the process more efficient.

Japanese lawmakers will soon begin debating a new supplementary budget this week to support the government’s fight against coronavirus of which will include a reserve fund worth $91.5 billion. Half of this proposed money would go toward protecting jobs, supporting people in need, and helping local governments boost their medical systems, but there is opposition as some lawmakers feel that the government shouldn’t be given such a large “blank check.”

Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has pledged $300 million to help an international organization develop a vaccine. This is an additional $200 million from last month’s pledge. Abe has said, “The development of vaccines is in progress, collecting all the wisdom of humans […] we need to be well prepared to deliver them speedily to developing countries once they become available.”

Japan’s health ministry has laid out a plan designed to shorten the time needed to put coronavirus vaccines into practical use and speed up the process by simultaneously promoting both research and development and its production.

The health ministry has earmarked about $455 million, as subsidies to institutions involved in vaccine development in the proposed second supplementary budget for the fiscal year, and also about $1.3 billion in the extra budget to encourage private companies to invest in production facilities.

It normally takes a few years to develop and mass produce a vaccine, but the ministry’s officials say the hope to reduce the time substantially, and to start vaccinating the public in the first half of next year.

Author: Camryn Thomas