2 April

Senior Buddhist monks, led by Bamaw Sayadaw Dr Bhaddanta Kumara Bhivanmsa, performed a mid-air recitation of parittas on a special aircraft yesterday.

They recited Pali verses and extended loving-kindness on the flight around the country to prevent and stop outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.

At the Yangon International Airport, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein and officials paid respects to the monks and gave them donations. The most venerable monks left Yangon at 9 am by a special airplane of Myanmar National Airlines. Along the route on the Ayeyawady River, they chanted Parittas and Pahtana Pali verses.

The special flight landed at the Mandalay International airport, Myitkyina airport and Bagan-Nyaung U airport before they arrived back to Yangon in the afternoon.

On the way, the senior monks were welcomed and paid respects by the local government officials and Hluttaw representatives, who paid them their respects, offered them alms-food, donations and offertories.

According to the Ministry of Health and Sports, there are currently 16 positive cases of COVID-19 in Myanmar, including imported ones, with one death.

The Myanmar authorities are conducting surveillance and tracing persons who closely contacted with the confirmed COVID-19 postitive patients.

The health authorities have imposed facility quarantine on them, including those who returned from foreign countries including from Thailand which are also experiencing the Coronavirus pandemic.

Measures are being taken to prevent and control the spread of the COVID-19 infection since January, having reviewed and fine-tuned the strategies in response to the changing situation.—MNA (Translated by Aung Khin)