Thai security authorities in Tak are on alert along the border with Myanmar after the neighbouring country reported more than 200 new coronavirus cases.

Authorities said all border passes in Mae Sot district and roads to Muang districts will be strictly screened.



Mae Sot is the main gateway to Yangon, with the Moei River separating the two countries.

The long border in Tak makes it ideal for Myanmar people to cross the river and illegally enter Thailand in search of jobs.

 
Myanmar has reported more than 200 cases of the coronavirus since early last week after a month with no local transmission.

Most recent infections have been outside the biggest city, Yangon, and authorities believe they were more contagious than previously seen.

The country closed schools nationwide on Thursday as the number of cases rose, a decision broadly welcomed by parents worried about a rapid spread.


With just six deaths and 586 infections since late March, the impact of the coronavirus has been relatively light in Myanmar, compared with Indonesia and the Philippines, which are reporting daily cases in the thousands.



The new outbreak epicentre is Rakhine, about 500 kilometres from Yangon, with most cases tracked to the state capital of Sittwe, where a lockdown and curfew are in place.

Sittwe is also home to crowded camps where 100,000 Rohingya Muslims have been confined since violence erupted in 2012, with limited access to healthcare.

One new case in Yangon on Thursday was linked to Sittwe.