"After Myanmar confirmed its first coronavirus infection in late March, the residents of one village in the country’s northwestern Sagaing region sprang into action. They built bamboo tents to serve as quarantine centers, banned nonessential movement in and out, and put townsmen on guard at the main entry in rotating three-man shifts. The small community of about 200 households had no choice but to defend itself. It has little contact from the government, according to Kyaw San Win, a 40-year-old community leader, and no access to modern health care facilities or state funding for medical supplies and equipment. “We decided to stand on our own feet to fight against this pandemic,” he said. “We don’t rely on public health services.” The situation at Ngwetha Ywar Thit is playing out across the country as people take matters into their own hands in protecting themselves against the coronavirus. The Southeast Asian state, which was ruled for decades by a military junta, lacks the kind of health care infrastructure it would need if the disease spread widely. The government led by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has taken steps to fight the virus. It began a partial lockdown in April, banned gatherings of more than five people, and stopped international commercial-passenger flights until May 15. The nation’s most populated regions have made wearing masks mandatory. But for many people in the country, these measures aren’t enough. In the commercial capital of Yangon, hundreds of volunteers are leading a community-wide lockdown, barricading the roads of Myanmar’s most densely populated city. Local residents guard the streets, while other people spray disinfectants..."