Teachers working at Myitkyina University were allowed to return to their villages on Tuesday after two teachers in a quarantine tested negative for COVID-19.

The teachers were quarantined after it was discovered one had contact with Burma’s COVID-19 Case 249. The two instructors, who were sharing the same room in the university’s dormitory, were released after their test results returned showing they had not acquired the virus.

The teacher who had contact with Case 249 came to the university on June 3 to mark exams. He was placed in quarantine at Myitkyina Public Hospital on June 11. In total, there were 57 teachers taking temporary residence at the university.

 

Dr. Aung Win, rector for Myitkyina University, told KNG since the teachers’ test results returned negative their travel bans were lifted and with the exams marked, most went home.

As a precaution, Tint Hlaing, deputy head of the Kachin State COVID-19 Control and Emergency Response Committee, said the two teachers would need to finish a 21-day quarantine.

He says the government has tracked down nearly 600 people who had contact with Case 249. Medical workers are sending nasal and throat swabs of 158 people to be sent for testing at a new laboratory in Mandalay.

There have been two confirmed cases in Kachin State. Case 144 has recovered. Case 249 is being treated at Bhamo Public Hospital. Prior to her illness, Case 249 worked as a nurse at the Loije border gate in N’mawk (Momauk) Township, located in Manmaw (Bhamo) District.

According to the Kachin State COVID-19 Control and Emergency Response Committee, 11,372 have returned from China through the Kambaiti and Loije border gates, while 840 returned from Thailand.