Month: July 2022

In the Lao PDR, more and more people are likely to use electric vehicles as in Vientiane there are more than 160 electric vehicles (as of May 11, 2022) and 15 charging stations including one fast charge station, has said Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Mr Khamso Kouphokham.

“EVs and commercial charging stations are likely to rise in numbers in the future,” said Khamso Kouphokham.

Representatives from the Department of Energy Promotion and Saving, Ministry of Energy and Mines and relevant offices met in Vientiane Province on Jun 28-30 to pass a draft ministerial agreement on the management of commercial electric vehicle charging stations.

“Today, many countries are increasingly using electric vehicles and expanding charging stations in society to reduce air pollution caused by carbon dioxide from industrial factories and combustion vehicles. Many have made commitments to environment protection as their obligations to the reduction of air pollution especially by delivering a policy that promotes the development and use of non-pollutant vehicles,” said Mr Khamso.

The government has tasked the Ministry of Energy and Mines to devise legal instruments on charging stations and price composition of public charging stations.

Laos has an ambitious goal to raise the share of electric vehicles to 1% of the total vehicles in the country by 2025 and 30% by 2030, and increase the nationwide number of public fast and rapid charge stations, each with 5-10 plugs, to at least 50 by 2025 and 100 by 2030.

Source: Lao News Agency

The number of new coronavirus cases across Britain has surged by more than 30% in the last week, new data showed Friday, with cases largely driven by the super infectious omicron variants.

Data released by Britain’s Office for National Statistics showed that more than 3 million people in the U.K. had COVID-19 last week, although there has not been an equivalent spike in hospitalizations. The number of COVID-19 deaths also fell slightly in the last week.

“COVID-19 has not gone away,” said Dr. Mary Ramsay, of the Health Security Agency. “It is also sensible to wear a face covering in crowded, enclosed spaces,” she said.

Britain dropped nearly all its coronavirus measures, including mask-wearing and social distancing months ago and masks are rarely seen on public transport.

The latest jump in coronavirus cases comes after an earlier increase of about 40% last month, following the large street parties, concerts and festivities held to mark the platinum jubilee celebrations marking 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

British officials said the latest wave of COVID-19 infections were likely caused by omicron subvariants BA.4. and BA.5. Omicron has tended to cause a milder disease than previous variants like alpha or delta, but scientists warn its ability to evade the immune system means that people may be more susceptible to being reinfected, including after vaccination.

“The constant bombardment of waves we are seeing does cause clinical impact that is not to be underestimated,” said Dr. Stephen Griffin, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Leeds, explaining that any infection can lead to long COVID.

Despite widespread immunization across Britain, the protection from vaccines is likely fading and omicron and its subvariants have evolved to become more infectious. Britain’s Health Security Agency said they were seeing more outbreaks in care homes for older people and a rise in admissions to intensive care units of people older than 65.

Dr. Jonathan Van-Tam, a former deputy chief medical officer for the U.K., told the BBC that COVID-19 is now “much, much, much closer to seasonal flu” than when it first emerged. Still, he said experts should be vigilant for any signs the virus was causing more severe illness.

Germany’s Robert Koch Institute also reported a similar rise in the coronavirus, with cases increasing especially among older people, children and teenagers. France has seen a jump in the COVID-19 hospitalization rate and officials recently recommended that people begin wearing masks again on public transport.

Globally, the World Health Organization said this week that COVID-19 is increasing in more than 100 countries worldwide. The U.N. health agency warned that relaxed testing and surveillance measures mean it may be more difficult to catch emerging variants before they spread more widely.

Source: Voice of America

The Government of the Lao PDR has begun preparations for a national summit and series of consultations that will identify strategies and financing plans to improve human capital outcomes ? the knowledge, skills and health needed for boosting productivity across the country.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment on June 30 announced that the Lao PDR Human Capital Summit will be held in October this year, with support from the World Bank and UNICEF.

Chairing a meeting to kick off planning for the summit, under the World Bank’s global Human Capital Project, Ms Phonevanh Outhavong, Vice Minister of Planning and Investment, reiterated the priorities of the human development agenda in the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan 2021-2025, stressing that “as environmental, health and financial crises threaten to increase poverty and suffering, never has the need to invest in people been so critical. The situation calls for a great reset in the way we think about human capital development, and how we ensure that everybody has an equal opportunity to participate, and that no one is left behind.”

Alexander Kremer, World Bank Group Country Manager in Laos said the summit will tackle key issues in health, education and social protection. “This is the right time to discuss how to protect the government’s commitment to education, health and social protection from economic pressures on public spending. This is also the right time to discuss how the school calendar can be adjusted to make up for the learning that children lost during COVID-19.”

Even before the pandemic, a child born in Laos could expect to be only 46% as productive as she would be if she enjoyed complete education and full health. One of the most damaging effects of COVID-19 has been the disruption to education and losses of learning, which to varying extents has derailed learning for a generation of Lao children.

However, the learning loss caused by school closures over the past two years can be mitigated if urgent action, focused attention, and financial stimulus are provided. The Human Capital Summit will bring together senior officials from key ministries, provincial administrations, development partners, civil society, the private sector, and academia, to build a learning recovery program for Lao students.

Ahead of the summit, meetings are being held to identify how Laos can better measure learning, consolidate curricula, increase instruction efficiency (including through digital technology), extend instruction time, and reinforce the role of parents, families, and communities in children’s learning. Closer cooperation at all levels is needed, along with efforts to ensure sufficient support in budget mobilization and allocation, in order to build a more resilient education system.

Source: Lao News Agency