The Arakan State military council will temporarily close border trade centres as Covid-19 infection rates have risen not only in Arakan State but also in neighbouring countries.

Dr. Aung Kyaw Min, chair of the Arakan State military council, discussed the closure of border trade centres at the Arakan State Covid-19 Control and Emergency Response Committee meeting held on July 4.

“We’ve found that those infected with Covid-19 virus in Arakan State are people who are involved in border trade businesses, travellers in Myanmar and civil servants who were ordered transferred,” Dr. Aung Kyaw Min said.

However, it is not yet known when border trade centres will officially suspend operations.

The third wave of Covid-19 in Arakan State unofficially began on May 12, when four positive cases were found among 40 people involved in the border trade who were returning from Bangladesh and tested at the Shwe Min Gan border trade centre in Sittwe Township.

There have been more than 400 Covid-19 infections reported in Arakan State since the third wave of the virus began, with confirmed cases in Sittwe, Maungdaw, Thandwe, Minbya and Taungup townships, according to the state health department. Three people had died of the virus as of July 4.

The Ministry of Health and Sports has instructed people to avoid public gatherings of more than 50 people, to stay six feet apart from others, to wear masks whenever going out, not to go outside if it is unnecessary, and to wash hands frequently.

Photo: Exporting onions from Kanyin Chaung economic zone in Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, to Bangladesh.