65 more cases of Covid-19 confirmed, bringingtotal to 159

Hospitals could start to run out of beds as the number of people admitted with Covid-19 surges as a result of thefirst community outbreak of the virus in Laos.
The spike in the number of new infections raises the likelihood of a widespread outbreak in Laosand comes amid an increase in the number of cases in neighbouring countries.

Associate Professor Dr Phouthone Muongpak(centre) addresses the press briefing

Out of the 159 confirmed cases to date, 110 were recorded in Vientiane, the National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control announced on Friday.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Deputy Minister of Health, Assoc. Prof. Dr Phouthone Muongpak, said there were currently enough beds in the central and field hospitalsto accommodate patients and medical staff were on standby with specialised equipment to treat people if necessary.  
“There will be an impact. We don't know how it will end, but we're assessing the situation in the worst-case scenario,” he said.
Also speaking at the press conference, DirectorGeneral of the National Centre for Laboratory and Epidemiology under the Ministry of Health, Dr Phonepadith Sangxayarath, said another 65 people had tested positive for Covid-19 after 1,292 people were tested for the virus on April 22.
Sixty of the new cases were identified in Vientiane, one in Vientiane province, two in Champassak province,and two in Bokeo province.
The 95th person to test positive is a 29-year-old man from Phonthanh in Xaysettha district, Vientiane. He had come into contact with four other people who have contracted the virus. He tested positive on April 22 and was taken to a self-isolation facility.
The 96th case is a 23-year-old woman from Nongteng village in Sikhottabong district, who had contact with two other people who have developed the virus. She has also been isolated after testing positive on April 22.
The 98th case is a 24-year-old woman from Phonsavath village in Sikhottabong district who came into contact with two other infected people in Vientiane. She has been isolated after testing positive on April 21.
The 102nd case is a 24-year-old woman from Nongduang village in Chanthabouly district, Vientiane, who also had contact with an infected person. She has been isolated after testing positive on April 20.
All of the 60 people who most recently tested positive for Covid-19 had contact with cases no. 59, 61, 91, 92 and 95 from Vientiane.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
(Latest Update April 23, 2021)