Ara Darzi, director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, said, “There are reports across the country of doctors being dismissed from their posts, arrested, or going into hiding in fear for their lives. The arrest and detention of medical staff for joining a peaceful protest is an affront to doctors everywhere and a clear breach of humanitarian law. It demands an immediate robust response.”
Meanwhile, the UN has warned of disruption to aid operations in the country, with a spokesperson raising concerns over the severe impact of the coup on covid-19 testing capacity and vaccination planning.5
On 8 February it was reported that 1987 tests took place. This was a significant drop from both the 9000 tests carried out a week prior (1 February), and the average of more than 17,000 a day in the week before the coup. The drop in testing has meant that the number of new cases detected on 8 February was just four—at the end of January an average of 420 cases were being identified every day.6
Source: Covid-19: Military coup in Myanmar sees virus response crumble as doctors are arrested | The BMJ



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