Myanmar lifts stay-at-home order in more towns with dropping COVID-19 cases

Myanmar's Ministry of Health on Friday announced lifting of a stay-at-home order in 13 more towns as the places are witnessing fewer COVID-19 infections.

According to the ministry, the stay-at-home order will be lifted in the towns in Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay, Ayeyarwady regions and Kachin state on Saturday.

The number of COVID-19 infections has risen to 516,770 in Myanmar with 624 new COVID-19 cases reported on Friday, according to the ministry.

The country recorded a daily test positivity rate of 2.82 percent in the past 24 hours, the ministry said.

The death toll has reached 19,000 on Friday after 11 more deaths were reported.

A total of 489,140 patients have been discharged from hospitals and over 5.32 million samples have been tested for COVID-19 as of Friday.

Myanmar detected its first two COVID-19 positive cases on March 23 last year.