PM: Bolster stocks of face masks, send them to help China 

Authorities are preparing to buy and prepare face masks to ensure a sufficient supply in Laos and even send them to China amid the rising number of coronavirus infections in the country, where the deadly virus emerged.
The Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday issued an announcement in accordance with Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith’s instruction, asking the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to work with the Ministry of Health to draw up a purchase plan.

This will include purchase from local and overseas distributors, according to the announcement, which was issued shortly after a meeting where the premier was briefed on the latest developments in the outbreak and Laos’ prevention efforts.
At-risk groups and officials such as those working on prevention activities will be given free face masks, a health ministry official said.
Laos is also considering sending face masks to China according to its capacity, with Beijing making an effort to ensure a sufficient supply of medical resources. 
China will roll out a host of measures to ensure the supply of key medical resources and daily necessities for intensified epidemic prevention and control, and increase the production of urgently needed medical resources, according to Xinhua.
The Lao government warned distributing individuals, legal entities and pharmacies not to increase the price of, or stock for unreasonable gain, face masks, gloves, hand-washing liquid, medicines and medical equipment used for protection against the virus.
Anyone found contravening this advice will face strong measures including criminal and civil charges and may even have their business licence revoked, according to the announcement, which appears to have imposed the harshest penalty on greedy traders.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce was told to define the sale price of the products in question and to publicise the prices widely.
Speaking at a meeting to review implementation of the five-year development plan of the energy and mines sector on Wednesday, Prime Minister Thongloun told members of the public not to panic, but to use preventive measures to keep the virus at bay.
The government, he added, has not been careless, even though there are no confirmed cases of the virus in Laos.
Instead, the government has taken early action since the outbreak was first reported in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province.
He praised the Chinese government for introducing what he described as ‘timely and effective’ measures to control the outbreak of the virus. The prime minister spoke highly of the good cooperation and information sharing the Chinese government has extended, which has enabled Laos and countries across the globe to put in place preventive measures to contain the virus.
He said Laos sympathised with their Chinese friends over the virus outbreak.
Lao leaders, on behalf of the government and people, have sent messages of sympathy to their Chinese counterparts and expressed confidence that the Chinese government will be able to address and contain the outbreak and normalise the situation on home soil.
The Lao government and people expressed heartfelt thanks to China for extending assistance and care to the 242 Lao nationals in China, especially the 37 students in Wuhan. To check treatment preparedness, Minister of Health Associate Professor Dr Bounkong Syhavong and his team yesterday visited Mittaphab Hospital – one of the two hospitals in Vientiane designated to treat anyone who contracts the virus.
As of February 5, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus had risen to 28,018 on the Chinese mainland, including 563 deaths, according to the China Daily.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
(Latest Update February 7, 2020)