And then it happened: the second wave of COVID-19 cases hit Myanmar. The confirmed cases nearly tripled since 20 August to 1216 cases on Friday 4 September.
As a result, the prices of personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks also increased stark again just like during the first wave. In April, a box of 50 masks cost MMK 35,000 (around US$ 26.29) before decreasing to only MMK 2,750 (US$ 2.06) in July. Now prices are increasing again.
Luckily, Burma News International (BNI) and Global Ground Media (GGM) had just placed a bulk order of PPE before the second wave hit. Supported by Free Press Unlimited, essential protection to continue reporting by 14 ethnic media organisations was underway.
That included two media organisations in Rakhine State, the initial hotspot of the resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Roads were blocked, but we managed to fly PPE into the hard-hit area. Stay safe out there!
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