Category: Health

The past 24 hours witnessed 2,625 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed nationwide, the highest daily number ever recorded since the first case was confirmed in late March 2020.

Covid-19 also claimed one life over the past one day.

Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health Dr Sisavath Soutthanilaxay told a press conference on Wednesday that the newly confirmed infections were detected among 6,021 people tested for Covid-19 yesterday.

The new daily cases included 2,595 domestic transmissions and 30 imported ones.

Vientiane reported the highest share of the infections at 1,164 followed by Savannakhet 335, Oudomxay 164, Xayaboury 150, Khammuan 110, Xieng Khuang 107 and Vientiane (province) 98.

Meanwhile, 90 cases were recorded in Bokeo, 76 in Borikhamxay, 69 in Huaphan, 62 in Saravan and 46 in Luang Namtha.

Since late March 2020, the total caseload in the country has reached 159,047 including 3,309 active cases and 652 deaths.

As of Mar 23, over 5.5 million people, representing 75.72% of population in the country, have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centre of Information and Education for Health, Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, the number of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 currently stands at 4.4 million people, accounting for 60.40% of the population, and those given a booster shot has shared 15.3% of the population.

Source: Lao News Agency

Laos has logged 2,328 new Covid-19 infections over the past twenty four hours, the highest figures ever recorded since late March 2020.

Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health Dr Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh told a press conference on Tuesday that the newly confirmed infections were detected among 5,976 people tested for Covid-19 yesterday.

The new daily cases included 2,306 domestic transmissions and 22 imported cases.

Vientiane reported the highest share of the infections at 1,331 followed by Savannakhet 170, Xieng Khuang 144, Oudomxay 106, Khammuan 85, Xayaboury 84, and Vientiane (province) 75.

Since late March 2020, the total caseload in the country has reached 154,094 including 2,280 active cases and 651 deaths.

As of Mar 21, over 5.5 million people, representing 75.08% of population in the country, have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centre of Information and Education for Health, Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, the number of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 currently stands at 4.4 million people, accounting for 60.16% of the population, and those given a booster shot has shared 14.8% of the population.

Source: Lao News Agency

Laos has logged 1,137 new Covid-19 infections and four new deaths attributed to Covid-19 over the previous 24 hours.

Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health Dr Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh told a press conference this morning that the newly confirmed infections were detected among 3,085 people tested for Covid-19 yesterday.

The new confirmed infections included 1,100 domestic transmissions and 37 imported cases. Vientiane reported the highest daily number of Covid-19 infections with 521 followed by Savannakhet 248, Xieng Khuang 45, Oudomxay and Khammuan, 37 each.

Sunday witnessed 153 patients discharged from hospitals nationwide.

Since late March 2020, the total caseload in the country has reached 154,094 including 2,280 active cases and 649 deaths.

As of Mar 21, over 5.5 million people, representing 75.08% of population in the country, have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centre of Information and Education for Health, Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, the number of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 currently stands at 4.4 million people, accounting for 60.16% of the population, and those given a booster has shared 14.8% of the population.

Source: Lao News Agency

Individuals and legal entities wishing to enter the Lao PDR must hold a proof of RT-PCR Covid-19 test 72 hours before entering the country and a Covid-19 vaccination certificate, according to Covid-19 Taskforce.

The Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued last week an instruction on application for immigration permit during Covid-19.

Diplomatic officials, employees of foreign embassies and consulates, and representatives of international organizations under the United Nations system, and international organisations, who are given diplomatic privileges, and their family members wishing to enter the Lao PDR for short and long term duties must send a written request to relevant departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ministries or equivalent agencies wishing to import foreigners – experts, technical staff, volunteers, and students (for bilateral cooperation projects) must send a written request to relevant departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their entry to be considered.

International nongovernmental organizations wishing to enter the Lao PDR for short and long term duties must register at laogreenpass.gov.la for a QR code and send a written request to the relevant departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Individuals and legal entities doing business in the Lao PDR that wish to import investors and business people into the Lao PDR for conducting a feasibility study into investment opportunities, signing an agreement or memorandum of understanding (MOU) must send a written request to the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and register at laogreenpass.gov.la for a QR code either before or after arrival in the Lao PDR.

Investors or business people must prepare documents: a request from the Department of Investment Promotion, Ministry of Planning and Investment, or a the provincial Department of Planning and Investment which is addressed to the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request a visa. They must seek approval from the Department of Immigration Police, Ministry of Public Security.

Companies or project owners wishing to import foreign technical staff or workers for their activities or projects must prepare: a proposal stating planned travel, and reason for entering the Lao PDR; a domestic and foreign investment permission, an enterprise registration, a proof of annual tax payment; a foreign worker quota permission from the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare; a foreign worker import permission from the provincial department of Labour and Social Welfare; a proof of the reservation of a hotel designated by Covid-19 Taskforce.

Foreign nationals with Lao origin wishing to enter the Lao PDR must contact Lao embassies or general consulates in host countries and register at laogreenpass.gov.la for a QR code before contacting the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lao citizens or foreigners wishing to have a home trip can do so without contacting embassies or consulates and the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Laos.

Foreign citizens who are family members of Lao citizens and hold a spouse visa (SP-B3) can have a home trip without contacting embassies or consulates, and the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In case they have no visa, they must apply for it at the Lao embassies, consulates in the host country.

Diplomatic officials, employees of foreign embassies, representatives of international organisations under the United Nations system, international organizations with diplomatic privileges, and family members can enter the Lao PDR without seeking permission from the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign experts, investors, business people, technical staff, workers of companies and projects, and students, once registered at laogreenpass.gov.la for a QR. Code can enter the Lao PDR without seeking permission from the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

All application documents must be sent to the Department of Consular Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at least five days before arrival in the Lao PDR.

Source: Lao News Agency

Some 848 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 over the past twenty-four hours, according to the National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

They were among 3,007 people tested for Covid-19 nationwide yesterday.

The latest daily infections, highest since late January, included 495 documented in Vientiane, 110 in Savannakhet, 58 in Xieng Khuang, 32 in Huaphan, 29 in Khammuan, 24 in Xayaboury, 18 in Borikhamxay, 15 in Vientiane (province), nine in Oudomxay and six each in Luang Prabang and Luang Namtha, five in Xekong, four each in Xaysomboune and Attapeu, one each in Champassak and Saravan.

Of the newly reported cases, only 15 were classified as imported infections.

Since late March 2020, the total caseload in the country has reached 148,257 including 1,201 active cases and 643 deaths.

Source: Lao News Agency

Response Highlights:

• In Khammouane Province, World Vison supported the construction of seven community water supply systems to increase the access to clean water and fight against COVID-19. With the financial support of the EDF Foundation, over 3,300 individuals of Xebangfai district have a new, sustainable access to clean water directly from their house.

• In Khammouane province, World Vision provided financial support in a total amount of 15,520,000 LAK (app.1.385USD) to the Xebangfai District Health Office to promote vaccination campaign in 13 target villages. 1,756 community members attended the event, and 1,142 people including children were vaccinated. Similarly, the European Union-funded AHAN Project has organized a COVID-19 prevention and vaccination campaign and provided health information and education in Attapeu province during January and February 2022. The events recorded 2,576 participants including 838 women. The project has also supported community vaccination with 344 community members, including 198 women, who have received vaccination during this period.

• The flow of returning migrant workers into the quarantine centers increased after the New Year, with a peak of over 700 people occupying the centres in early February. Since January 2022, 2,837 returning migrant workers registered in two World Vision-World Food Programme Quarantine Centres in Savannakhet and Saravane provinces, including 1,451 women (incl.77 pregnant women), and 294 children (149 girls).

• During this period, the food assistance project implemented by World Vision has been providing 3 meals a day per person, reaching a total of 84,710 meals, for an amount of 1,129,580,000 LAK (app. 98,500 USD).

Source: World Vision