Aung San Suu Kyi claims Myanmar has zero coronavirus cases despite 1,400-mile porous border with China

Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi claimed on Monday that the country has zero coronavirus cases despite 1,400-mile porous border with China.

In China, more than 80,800 people have been infected.

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“Until now, no one in our country is infected with Covid-19,” said the country’s civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a televised address on Monday.

To the country’s west, 137 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in India and five in Bangladesh. Myanmar’s southern neighbour, Thailand, has reported 114 cases.

A spokesperson for Myanmar’s government has claimed that people’s “lifestyle and diet” protected them from the disease – stoking concerns the country is downplaying the impact of the respiratory illness.

Zaw Htay, a government spokesperson, also said the common use of cash instead of credit cards, helped curb the spread of the illness. There is no evidence to show that diet or banknotes can stop the spread of coronavirus.

“Such irresponsible statements clash with everything known about the coronavirus outbreak, defy reality, and only serve to give a false sense of security to the country’s people about the disease and their risks of infection,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division at Human Rights Watch, in a blog post.

Ten patients in Myanmar are currently in quarantine awaiting test results, according to the government.

Globally, there are more than 161,500 confirmed coronavirus cases in 150 countries or territories. The World Health Organization said the global threat from the respiratory illness is high.