COVID-19: Myanmar records highest single-day cases

YANGON, Myanmar

Health authorities in Myanmar on Wednesday reported 106 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, 93 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 in local transmission of cases with 180 infections in just 11 days.

A two-month-old baby girl, the youngest patient infected by COVID-19 in Myanmar, was among the new cases, said the ministry.

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.

The Myanmar government also announced on Wednesday the temporary closure of all public and private high schools in the country, affecting more than 1.2 million students. Public and private high schools were allowed to reopen since July 21 after two-month suspension due to the new coronavirus cases.

As of Wednesday, Myanmar has reported a total of 580 COVID-19 cases with 345 recoveries and six deaths.