A police officer from Rakhine State and three members of his immediate family tested positive after arriving in Namhsan town, northern Shan State.

The police and his family from Maungdaw were in quarantine at Primary School No 6 in Namhsan when medical staff discovered they had COVID-19 on Sunday, July 25.

A man familiar with the situation told SHAN about 20 others, including additional police officers, are staying in the quarantine centre, suspecting everyone has COVID-19.

On July 19, four police who also transferred from Rakhine State tested positive at Nawng Pein Police Station in Kyaukme Township. The same day, medical staff discovered that twelve police in quarantine in the town of Kyaukme had COVID-19.

Another source told SHAN there are 130 police, including their family, from Rakhine State undergoing quarantine in the township.

A staff member of a nursing home in Kyaukme town informed SHAN that fourteen of the home’s fifteen residents and an employee are infected with the virus. “Three tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21, and after that everyone was tested.” Staff are providing oxygen for three residents while working with the health department to acquire additional tanks.

“We are concerned about our residents with other diseases,” the employee said, explaining that so far everyone’s health is stable. Residents at the nursing home are between the ages of 62 to 92. There are two health staff and three general workers.

The military council announced 400 cases and 15 deaths in Kyaukme Township. The numbers of infections and fatalities are likely much higher because many are receiving treatment at home and are not counted if they die from the disease.

Photo: Police stand guard at the Aung Mingalar IDP camp