KEEPING FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS FUNCTIONING WILL HELP PEOPLE GET THROUGH PANDEMIC PAGE-8 (OPINION) NATIONAL NATIONAL CBM Governor joins video conferencing among State Counsellor Office responds to COVID-19 IMF, heads of ASEAN banks, finance ministers matters in EAO regions PAGE-2 PAGE-4 Vol. VII, No. 9, 4th Waxing of Kasone 1382 ME www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com Saturday, 25 April 2020 State Counsellor discusses COVID-19 practical measures with front-liners of Chin State State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi holds the video conference with those working for fighting COVID-19 disease in Chin State. PHOTO: MNA TATE Counsellor Daw pandemic yesterday from the ties and challenges in the fight need for an isolation building tion of videos in collaboration SAung San Suu Kyi, in her Presidential Palace in Nay Pyi against COVID-19; worries of and electricity supply. with the health departments capacity as the Chairperson of Taw. local health workers and pa- Next, Daw Van Htalar Kyel of Chin state for public aware- the National Central Commit- After words of greeting tients and how they were co- Hni Yarn, a volunteer of the ness; and activities being un- tee for Prevention, Control and from the State Counsellor, Dr operating; medical treatments, Hakha COVID-19 Response dertaken to provide counseling Treatment of COVID-19, held a Aung Ngwe San, Head of the tests, response and contain- Committee, briefed why the services to alleviate the effects video conference with people Public Health and Medical Ser- ment works, assistance and committee was formed and of COVID-19. in Chin State, participating in vices Department in Hakha supply efforts; coordination of how she was cooperating with the fight against the COVID-19 Township, discussed difficul- awareness campaigns, and the the committee; the prepara- SEE PAGE-3 Coronavirus: 12 new cases found on Friday, total cases reach 144 THE Ministry of Health and Sports reported 12 new ship, Dagon Myothit (east) Township, Dagon Township Out of the 144 people testing positive for COV- coronavirus cases yesterday, additionally brought the in Yangon Region, Muse Township in Shan State and ID-19, five people have died, nine recovered and 130 total cases in Myanmar 144. Moehnyin Township in Kachin State. are in stable health condition, while two patients in The 12 patients –seven men and five women– The new cases consist of four patients aged 20s, Waibargi Specialist Hospital and one in South Ok- came from Pabedan Township, Tamway Township, five aged 30s, one 45-year-old, one 53-year-old, and kalapa Specialist Hospital are under intensive care Kyauktada Township, Hline Township, Insein Town- one 87-year-old. quarantine. —MNA (Translated by Kyaw Zin Tun) INSIDE TODAY NATIONAL LOCAL NEWS LOCAL NEWS Chinese China-Myanmar Cultural and Vehicles medical team, Economic Exchange Center donated to supplies arrive hands over 50,000 face masks Yangon Medical in Yangon for Myanmar Centre PAGE-2 PAGE-6 PAGE-6 25 APRIL 2020 2 NATIONAL THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR CBM Governor joins video conferencing among IMF, heads of ASEAN Central banks, finance ministers CENTRAL Bank of Myanmar’s financial stimulus programmes Governor U Kyaw Kyaw Maung of the country. attended a teleconferencing of He also explained the re- the Spring Meetings of Inter- cent changes of interest rates national Monetary Fund, the from the CBM and temporary governors of central banks and plans in financial management financial ministers of ASEAN at the banks as the government countries yesterday. has set up COVID-19 funds with At the meeting, Ms Kris- K100 billion to provide financial talina Georgieva, Managing assistance to SMEs, garment Director of IMF, discussed the factories and tourism sector in expectation of decline in global priority, supplying people who economic growth to 3 per cent do not have regular income this year, the fall of economic with basic foodstuffs, reduction growth in ASEAN countries to of electricity bills, importance 0.7 per cent and possibility of of IMF’s financial assistance, partial rebound in 2021. preparations for request of She also confirmed possi- loan schemes of Rapid Credit ble assistance of her organiza- Facility and Rapid Financing tions to vulnerable groups and Instrument from IMF and businesses; addressing unem- expectation of good response ployment rates, suspension of from the IMF. payment period from the G-20 The meeting was also at- countries, providing policy ad- Governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar, U Kyaw Kyaw Maung attends the teleconferencing of the Spring tended by Deputy Governor vice and financial assistance to Meetings of International Monetary Fund yesterday. PHOTO: MNA U Soe Min and high-ranking member countries. of situations on COVID-19 in of garment industry, hotel and increasing jobless rates, es- officials—MNA Governor U Kyaw Kyaw Myanmar, impacts on social tourism sectors, losses in small pecially in garment industry, Maung explained the updates and economic sector, problems and medium industries and relax of financial policies and (Translated by Aung Khin) Chinese medical team, supplies arrive in Yangon MEDICAL supplies and equip- Chen Hai and embassy officials. Speaking of the donation, in need and will cooperate with from Yunnan Province on 8 April ment donated by the People’s Lib- Next, the Chinese Ambas- Mr Chen Hai said the Myanmar the Chinese military medical together with medical supplies, eration Army (PLA) of China to sador handed over the donation Tatmadaw provided medical sup- team to discover, protect and donated 15 ventilators to the Min- the Myanmar Tatmadaw for the from China that included 10,000 plies to China when COVID-19 treat COVID-19 in Tatmadaw istry of Health and Sports on 22 containment and treatment of COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Test Kits first began spreading. He said as hospitals in Yangon. April and 5 ventilators to the Tat- COVID-19 and medical personnel (PCR), 20,000 Type-KN 95 medi- COVID-19 cases are appearing The medical team from Chi- madaw medical troop. from the PLA arrived at Yangon cal surgical masks, 500,000 med- in Myanmar, China is also send- na includes six medical profes- Another batch of 15 ventila- International Airport at 10:30 am ical surgical masks, 200 medical ing medical teams and supplies sionals, led by Dr Bai Chong, will tors are on the way along with yesterday. goggles, 10,000 medical gloves, to Myanmar. He said China will work together with Tatmadaw continued support from China to The special flight was wel- 10,000 surgical caps, 20,000 med- continue donating in the same medical professionals in the Tat- Myanmar regarding COVID-19, comed by the commander of ical shoe covers, 200 infrared fore- regard. madaw hospital in Mingaladon according to the Chinese Am- Yangon Command, Maj-Gen head thermometers, and 2,000 Maj-Gen Thet Pone also said Township, Yangon, for two weeks. bassador to Myanmar. —Zaw Gyi Thet Pone, Tatmadaw medical wash-free hand gel sanitizers to they will quickly distribute the China had sent a medical officials, Chinese Ambassador Mr Maj-Gen Thet Pone and officials. supplies to all areas of Myanmar team consisting of 12 members (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo) Medical supplies and equipment donated by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China to the Myanmar Tatmadaw for the containment and treatment of COVID-19 and medical personnel from the PLA arrived at Yangon International Airport yesterday. PHOTO: ZAW GYI 25 APRIL 2020 THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR NATIONAL 3 “People are the key” State Counsellor discusses COVID-19 practical measures … FROM PAGE-1 Then, U Tam Aung Shein, Executive Officer of the Hakha Township Municipal Committee, explained enforcement of or- ders and directives related to COVID-19, and establishment of a community-based quarantine facilities and other require- ments. The State Counsellor spoke on the need to conduct awareness campaigns on a large scale, for all the people beginning with children, to uplift the morale of health workers, patients and the people. She then gave explained the government’s short and long-term plans to fulfill the needs and requirements. In her concluding remarks, the State Counsellor said that the people of My- anmar were really adorable because well-wishers and donors appeared as soon as they learnt about the requirements af- ter the videoconference calls were made; State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi holds the video conference with those working for fighting against COVID-19 disease in Chin State. PHOTO: MNA that in her mind Myanmar could be re- garded as an empire where “cetana” never private sector or not, however, Myanmar is lost as the global death rate of COVID-19 to take effective measures and everyone sets; this is because donors came forward needs the contributions of well-wishers. is only between 5 and 6 per cent and it collaborated with unity to overcome the to donate the requirements just before The State Counsellor continued to is not an incurable disease; but it was challenge. This was very inspiring for the the sun set; she believed that donors will say that now the government had heard necessary to prepare for early tests and whole country. also come forward for Chin State; that the about the requirements, it would fulfill medical treatments, to have hospitals, She concluded her remarks by ex- government would take the responsibility the requirements as much as possible, health workers and equipment, and that pressing thanks to all health workers, if there were no donors; and the fact that while expecting public contributions; that the government would fulfill all these re- administrative officials, volunteers and the people were providing assistance and human resources were very important to quirements as much as possible; and that the people who were participating in the collaboration was a real strength for the overcome the COVID-19; that it was very this challenge could be overcome with the prevention, containment and treatment government.