The factories, some of which had closed for the Thingyan holiday on April 10-19, will undergo inspections between April 20 and 30, according to statement issued by the labour ministry on April 19. 

Factories manufacturing pharmaceuticals and food as well as those with a workforce of more than 1,000 will be prioritised. Factories, workshops and workplaces that meet the ministries requirements will be allowed to continue operations. 

“No further instructions beyond these have been announced yet. We expect to receive further clarification on how to proceed tomorrow (April 20),” said U Myat Thin Aung, chair of the Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone.

The statement did not mention government and corporate offices. It is also unclear if the factories and workplaces should remain closed until after inspections have been conducted.

There are 6,632 factories with more than 680,000 workers in Yangon Region alone.

Yangon Region, with a population of 7 million, has the highest number of COVID-19 cases at 87 as of 9 pm on April 19. Four out of the five deaths so far also occured in Yangon. 

The number of COVID-19 cases exceeded 100 in Myanmar on April 19, with a total of 108 having tested positive for the virus since March 23. 

The authorities have imposed a 10pm to 4 am curfew for all the townships and imposed semi-lockdowns on seven townships with the most number of cases. Earlier on April 16, the government also banned gatherings of five and above.

Source: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/factories-myanmar-undergo-mandatory-inspections-covid-19.html