COVID-19: Myanmar records highest single-day cases

By Kyaw Ye Lynn

YANGON, Myanmar (AA) - Health authorities in Myanmar on Wednesday reported 100 new cases of the novel coronavirus, the highest single-day surge since the first case was detected in the country in March.

According to the Health and Sports Ministry, most of the new virus cases were found in the western Rakhine State, home to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims.

Rakhine state’s capital Sittwe has been under semi-lockdown and nighttime curfew since Aug. 20, following a spike of local transmission of cases.

As part of its effort to curb the spread of the virus, authorities have imposed semi-lockdown in four more townships of Rakhine -- Kyaukphyu, Mrauk-U, Taunggok and Thandwe.

As of Wednesday, Myanmar has reported a total of 574 COVID-19 cases with 341 recoveries and six deaths.