No new Covid-19 cases for 35 days

The total number of people confirmed to have contracted Covid-19 remained at 19 on Sunday, with authorities detecting no additional cases of the potentially deadly virus for 35 days.

Speaking at a media briefing on Sunday, Director General of the Communicable Disease Control Department, Dr Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh, said samples taken from 134 people around the country on May 16 all tested negative for the virus.
The National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control has tested samples from 4,451 people nationwide since January. With no more positive tests, the accumulated number of Covid-19 infections had remained at 19 for the past 35 days, he added.
Fourteen of the people hospitalised with the virus have been discharged. Only five are still in hospital and are in a stable condition.
As part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19, the government has focussed on checking the temperature of everyone entering Laos.
On May 16, a total of 2,265 people entered Laos, most of whom were truck drivers and Lao workers returning from neighbouring countries. In line with government policy, especially with regard to returning workers, people entering the country are required to spend 14 days in a quarantine centre.
The government has set up 91 quarantine centres around the country where 2,416 people are now staying. Samples were taken from every individual and tested for Covid-19 but all yielded negative results.

By Ekaphone Phouthonesy
(Latest Update May 18, 2020)