YANGON, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi late on Monday called for people's participation in government's ongoing efforts to fight the COVID-19.
In a speech to the public, the state counsellor highlighted that public participation is needed for successful implementation of government's prevention and control efforts against the COVID-19 in the country.
To prevent the country from the economic fallout, tax relaxation and reduction of interest rate will be granted to the businesses which will likely be affected, including those in the cut-make-pack garment sector, hotels, the tourism industry and SMEs, she said.
It was also learnt that a public fund to be used in prevention and control works in which every citizen can involve will be established soon.
Pledging that the public will be updated with timely information, Aung San Suu Kyi called for their participation in controlling the emergence of misleading and false news and panic buying of food or stockpiling which can cause some instability.
Meanwhile, the Myanmar government on Friday announced the restriction of mass gatherings and public events including the traditional Thingyan water festival until the end of April.
The move came after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the COVID-19 as a global pandemic days ago.
No COVID-19 infection case has been detected so far in Myanmar, said a release from the Public Health Department late Monday.
