Covid Crisis

Like much of Southeast Asia, Myanmar weathered the early storms of the COVID-19 pandemic by shutting its borders and imposing strict internal travel restrictions to reduce spread of the disease. However, by the time a third wave of infections hit the country in July 2021 Myanmar was in the midst of new political turmoil and there was no controlling the virus.

In February the Myanmar military had taken control of the country in a coup, detaining Myanmar’s elected leaders and placing the entire country under a ‘State of Emergency’. Almost all sectors of the country were devastated by the coup, with Healthcare one of the worst affected. With Myanmar facing this third wave of COVID-19 infections, hospitals overflowing, and martial law in effect, large numbers of patients found themselves being refused access to hospital facilities and forced to go through the illness in their own homes due to a severe lack of emergency medical services.

During the height of the surge Yangon’s crematoriums worked around the clock to burn the dead.

All images by photographer Ta Mwe, to see more from this series and discuss licensing for publication or exhibition please contact saccaphoto@protonmail.com. This work is supported by grants from The VII Foundation and The Frontline Club.

Discarded surgical mask is seen hanging on the fence of a residential building in Yangon, Myanmar on 13 April 2020. Government issues stay-at-home order as the first case of Covid-19 has been discovered in Myanmar and order citizens to wear mask to avoid airborne transmissions.

People wearing surgical masks are seen in a wet market in Yangon, Myanmar on 13 April 2020. Despite Myanmar governmetn ban public gathering more than five people, wet markets are crowded with people and risk of Covid-19 transmssion is still high.

Municiple workers are seen in downtown Yangon on 24 January 2021.

A residential apartment building is seen being lockdowned by the police as authority finds COVID-19 patient in an apartment room in Yangon.

Myanmar born Canada citizen pastor, Saw David Lah (c), is seen at court for violating social distancing law in Yangon, Myanmar on 4 June 2020. Saw David Lah hosted a private prayer mass in March which event has infected coronavirus among prayers. He has been accused as super spreader in Myanmar as over 80 related cases has been emerge from the event.

A temporary Covid-19 treatment center is seen at the National Stadium Yangon on 9 October 2020.

Volunteer medical workers collecting nasal swab from a lorry driver at the highway road in Yangon on 17 October 2020.

People queues to receive COVID-19 swab test at national laboratory in Yangon on 10 October 2020. National laboratory is the only COVID-19 test center to test for people who wants to travel oversea with flights.

A COVID-19 patient is seen inside Intensive Care Unit (ICU) room at AYA Center in Yangon on 12 November 2020.

World Food Program(WFP)'s charter plane, carrying Covid-19 treatment supplies is being unloaded at the Yangon International Airport on 24 August 2020.

A mentally ill man who claimed to be a descdents of King Thibaw poses for photographs as he wears mask and ancient Burmese king outfits in downtown Yangon, Myanmar on 12 April 2020.

A body of a woman died from Covid-19 symptoms, is being wrapped with blanket is seen inside a residential apartment to be pick up by the free funeral service in Yangon on 20 July 2021.

A medical worker injects Covishield, Covid-19 vaccine into a voluntter at the AYA Covid-19 treatment center in Yangon on 25 January 2021.

People line up to refill oxygen cylinders at Nwe Aye mosque where volunteers refill oxygen for free during Covid-19 third wave surges in Yangon on 12 July 2021. As Myanmar military seizes power from the democracy government, country's healthcare system collapsed and thousands of people died by the Covid-19 symptons around the country.

A body of a man who died with Covid-19 symptoms is seen inside an ambulance at Yayway cemetery on 22 July 2021. Hundreds of ambulances carrying dead bodies died from Covid-19 symptoms have to wait for hours to drop off dead bodies at cemetery during the Covid-19 third wave in Myanmar.

Family members of the deceased man who died from Covid-19 symptoms mourns as free funeral service team arrvies to pick up the body.

Deceased body of a Buddhist monk who died from Covid-19 symptons is seen inside a residential building in Yangon on 22 July 2021.

Volunteer funeral service workers rest as they wait to drop dead bodies from ambulance at Yayway cemetery on 22 July 2021.

Family member of a deceased man who died from Covid-19 symptoms, carry a pot with flower and coconut as traditional ritual processing at cemetary in Kyisu cemetery on 23 July 2021.