Myanmar at risk of third Covid-19 wave amid military's hampered response

MYANMAR'S military authorities are struggling to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, as the number of infections surge amid limited tests available daily.

The military's hampered pandemic response will likely aggravate local transmission, according to a report by risk consultancy firm Control Risks.

Local transmissions have been fuelled by a distrust of public hospitals, which have been largely defunct after healthcare workers joined the civil disobedience movement. The military responded to such protests by targeting doctors and nurses, releasing almost daily name lists of healthcare workers with standing arrest warrants for incitement.

Military hospitals have remained open, but civilians have been unwilling to use these services due to the ongoing conflict and fears that they will receive substandard treatment.

Underground clinics - set up by doctors on strike - have been more popular but due to resource constraints can only provide basic care.

Currently, concerns over violent strikes from both the military and opposition have convinced many to stay home and avoid interaction, keeping the domestic outbreak at bay. The military has also imposed lockdowns at the Indian border and other townships in the Chin state and Sagaing region.

But, according to the report, the outbreak could easily spill over to Yangon and Mandalay, the country's largest cities. Should that happen, military authorities are unlikely to be able to enforce measures to curb infections, given their focus on security concerns.

Instead, the outbreak may worsen and present a new slew of economic challenges for many families and businesses, the report warned.