Myanmar youth who evaded screening at Yangon airport after return from S Korea does not have virus

24 February 2020
Myanmar youth who evaded screening at Yangon airport after return from S Korea does not have virus
Photo: Pyi Thein Khine

Deputy Director of Central Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Khin Khin Gyi, said that they sent a Korea returnee Myanmar national passenger, who took the airport-Sule shuttle bus at Yangon airport after arrival from Korea, to Waibargi infectious diseases hospital for screening but he was not found to have the coronavirus.

The Myanmar national aged 25 arrived at Yangon International Airport on February 23 in early morning from South Korea was found sitting on airport-Sule (downtown Yangon) shuttle bus with unhealthy signs and then he was reportedly sent to Waibargi infectious diseases hospital for a coronavirus screening.

“He is not a suspect case and he is also not under observation and monitoring. He is a Myanmar national. He’s not a Korean national. Yes, we sent him to Waibargi hospital OPD for screening but it is not related with this virus,” Dr. Khin Khin Gyi said.

This youth took treatment at this Waibargi hospital as an outpatient department patient and then he was reportedly handed over to his family.

OMNI FOCUS Bus Service Managing Director Tun Tauk Win said that a Myanmar national returned from Korea at about 6:30 a.m. evaded routine screening at airport and he took seat at the waiting airport-Sule shuttle bus and then medical workers and Myanmar Police Force personnel took him from bus for screening.

“We have screened both of him and the driver of the bus and we are told that both of them are not suspect cases. They were screened at airport and then again at Waibargi hospital. The bus driver took a bath and all his clothes were destroyed by fire. And the bus was also sprayed with disinfectant. We shall keep this bus driver under monitoring for about two to three days. And this bus will not be used for service at present,” Managing Director Tun Tauk Win said.

According to the news release issued by Myanmar’s Ministry of Health and Sports, there is no new suspect case of coronavirus 2019 in all States/Regions in the period from February 21 at 8 p.m. to February 23 at 8 p.m. and there are no new patients under monitoring related with this COVID-19 during this period in all States/Regions. 
It is learned from Ministry of Health and Sports that according to the lab report replied by reference laboratory on February 22, a patient under monitoring at Magway Region Public General Hospital has no infection with this Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

It is learned from Ministry of Health and Sports that despite of no confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported at the hospitals in all States/Regions, there are eight patients designated for eight-hour monitoring at hospitals and all of them are in good health.