VIENTIANE (The Vientiane Times/ANN): The National Operation Centre for Covid-19 announced 28 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday (May 7), bringing the total number recorded since March last year to 1,205.
According to a report issued by the National Operation Centre, 10 of these cases were reported in Vientiane, eight in Bokeo province, four in Champassak province, five in Saravan province, and one in Vientiane province.
The infections were identified after 10,188 samples were tested on May 6.
The new figure marks a significant decline in the number of infections after 105 new cases were reported on Thursday.
As part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus, the government and local authorities have imposed travel restrictions and banned people from leaving their homes unless necessary.
A cleaner wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) sprays disinfectant on seating in Hua Lamphong railway station in Bangkok on May 1, 2021, amid the latest wave of Covid-19 coronavirus cases in Thailand. - Reuters
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): Thai police on Friday (April 30) returned a Lao woman who recently entered Thailand illegally in the company of two Thai men and later proved to be infected with Covid-19.
It is believed the woman is one of the superspreaders and should be responsible for triggering the first community outbreak of Covid-19 in Laos and police plan to initiate legal proceedings against her.
The woman was identified as Phavady Viphakone, 26 years old, a resident of Saravan province who travelled to Savannakhet province earlier last month.
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): An additional 93 people have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of known cases in Laos to 604.
The positive test results were obtained when 3,055 samples were tested on April 27, according to the National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.
Seventy-five of the new cases were identified in Vientiane, 11 in Champassak, four in Luang Prabang and three in Savannakhet.
Meanwhile, 405 people infected with the virus are in isolation at the Friendship Hospital and other public hospitals in Vientiane.
The rising numbers are severely straining hospital bed capacity, which at present stands at just 300.
However, the government is preparing an additional 1,200 beds at temporary facilities in Vientiane to accommodate patients when hospitals become full.
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is optimistic about the growth of the Lao economy amid the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown measures imposed to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.
According to the ADB’s Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021, which was unveiled on Wednesday (April 28), the Lao economy is projected to grow at 4.0 percent in 2021 and 4.5 per cent in 2022.
The projection is based on improved agricultural production and sustained power generation, which will offset a slow recovery in services amid the pandemic.
The projected recovery follows a 0.5 per cent contraction in Laos’ economy last year, following a growth rate of 4.7 per cent in 2019, according to the ADB report.
Chanthasouk Syvongsa, a resident of Lao capital Vientiane, just received two doses of Sinopharm vaccines. I had my first injection on March 26 at the 103 Hospital and, like everyone else, was required to wait for 20-30 minutes to see if there were side effects or allergies, he said. Afterwards I felt sleepy for a little while but the next day I felt fine and was able to do everything I normally do, except that I wasn t supposed to drink alcohol for seven days.
He had the second injection on April 23. I felt a bit sore around the injection site but when I woke up the next morning I was back to normal, except that again I had to wait seven days before drinking any alcohol, Chanthasouk said.