Taskforce Confirm No New Cases For 7 days / 19.4.2020

Source: Vientiane Times

No new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Laos for seven consecutive days with the total number of confirmed infections unchanged at 19 as of Sunday, authorities announced.

The Standing Deputy Head of the National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Associate Prof. Dr Phouthone Muongpak, revealed the positive news during a press conference in Vientiane on Sunday. 

Effective implementation of the national lockdown by authorities and the public has been credited as a major factor in the encouraging result. 

Under the Prime Minister’s Order, dated March 29, everyone was initially instructed to stay at home from April 1-19 to contain the spread of the potentially deadly virus. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith announced a 14-day extension of the lockdown.

Dr Phouthone reported that a total of 15 samples were tested on Saturday for the coronavirus, including 11 from Vientiane, and one each from Xaysomboune, Attapeu, Luang Prabang and Xayaboury provinces. But all results were negative.

“Two of the 19 people infected by the coronavirus have recovered and returned home while the remaining 17 are still hospitalised,” he said.
Fourteen patients are being treated at the Friendship Hospital in Vientiane and three in Luang Prabang Hospital.

Dr Phouthone called on officials at all levels to continue their efforts in applying the thus far successful actions against COVID-19.

“What local authorities need to do is to intensify the measures put in place to prevent the spread of the virus as stated in Prime Minister’s Order No. 6,” he said.

From January to April 18, a total of 1,333 people have been tested, and 19 were found to be infected by the coronavirus.

Between March 9 and April 18, a total of 313 people were monitored for the disease, and 291 of them have completed a 14-day quarantine. Only 22 people continue to be monitored for symptoms.

Up to 5 pm on April 18, some 1,009 people entering Laos had been checked for COVID-19.

Of these, 332 people crossed the border from Thailand with most being truck drivers bringing goods into Laos.

A total of 265 people crossed the Laos-China border with the majority being truck drivers. A total of 412 truck drivers people entered Laos from Vietnam. No passengers entered Laos at airports across the country.

At all border checkpoints, the temperature of each traveller was checked with none showing signs of fever. As of April 19, the coronavirus had spread to 210 countries and territories, with at least 2,325,335 confirmed cases globally (76,472 new infections). The virus has claimed 160,448 lives while more than 595,514 people have recovered.