Don’t get careless about Covid, health officials warn

Health officials say people should not become complacent about the drop in the number of new Covid cases, warning that new clusters could occur if people fail to comply with virus prevention guidelines.
Addressing a press briefing on Wednesday, Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control of the Ministry of Health, Dr Sisavath Soutthaniraxay, said Laos was still at high risk of a major outbreak following a spike in new cases in neighbouring countries.
“I urge all Lao people to stay at home to help the nation keep the virus from spreading and to comply with all the measures on Covid-19 outlined in Prime Minister’s Order No. 15,” he said.

Even though progress has been made in enforcing the PM’s Order, many people have failed to follow the measures advised to keep the virus in check, Dr Sisavath added.
“Relatives and friends still visit each other despite instructions by authorities not to gather in groups,” he said, adding that failure to obey the lockdown rules has resulted in the virus spreading in public offices, factories and companies.
The Covid tally now stands at 1,934 cases after five new infections were reported on Wednesday.
Four of the cases were reported in Vientiane while another (imported) case was reported in Champassak province. Meanwhile, 1,637 people have been discharged from hospitals.
The government is still struggling to contain the community outbreak of Covid despite a concerted attempt over the past one and a half months to contain the virus.
The government has imposed a lockdown for the third time, with 28 villages in Vientiane being designated as “red zones” in late May after infections were reported in these neighbourhoods.
The number of red zones has now fallen to 21 after several villages have been virus-free for the past 14 days.
It is critical to intensify disease control efforts at the community level and to trace everyone who has come into contact with infected individuals.
Health officials urge everyone to adapt to the new normal by wearing face masks when going out, using hand sanitiser, and following the rules on social distancing.
But the most important thing is for everyone to get vaccinated in order to cut the chain of infection. The government is aiming for 50 percent of the population to be vaccinated by the end of this year.
So far, more than 658,370 people have received a first dose of the Covid vaccine, while 227,317 people have had both doses.
Last week, China pledged to provide 500,000 more doses of vaccine. The commitment came during a virtual meeting between National Assembly President Dr Xaysomphone Phomvihane and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Li Zhanshu.

By Somsack Pongkhao
(Latest Update June 3, 2021)