Thai police return suspected virus spreader to Laos

Thai police on Friday returned a Lao woman who recently entered Thailand illegally in the company of two Thai men and later proved to be infected with Covid-19.
It is believed the woman is one of the superspreaders and should be responsible for triggering the first community outbreak of Covid-19 in Laos and police plan to initiate legal proceedings against her.
The woman was identified as Ms Phavady Viphakone, 26 years old, a resident of Saravan province who travelled to Savannakhet province earlier last month.

She is a friend of the 59th person, Ms Tyna Soutthida, in Laos to contract Covid-19 and spent time with her after meeting up with the two Thai men, who illegally entered Savannakhet province on April 6.
The three met Ms Tyna Soutthida in Vientiane, and it is believed that Ms Tyna picked up the virus while in their company.
Ms Phavady (also known as Touktik) may have passed on the virus to her friend Ms Tyna, although she did not know she was infected at the time.
Ms Phavady met the two Thai men on April 6 after they illegally entered Laos by boat, crossing the Mekong River to Savannakhet province from Thailand. The same evening they boarded a bus to Vientiane where they met up with Ms Tyna.
The two Thai men were identified as Mr Chitphol Sanguan, 30 years old from Roi Et province and Mr Thanakrit, 31 years old.
The four friends visited various places of entertainment in Vientiane over the course of April 7 and could have been responsible for spreading the virus in Laos.
There was a sudden increase in the number of infections following the group’s stay in the city, constituting Laos’ first community outbreak.
Director General of the Immigration Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, Colonel Saisaming Sivilay, told the media that Immigration officials are partnering with police in Vientiane and Savannakhet to investigate Ms Phavady’s movements. They believe she left Laos at Maknao village in Pakngum district, Vientiane, and illegally entered Thailand at Ban Deua village in Tha Bo district, Nong Khai province.
After she developed flu like symptoms she went to a hospital in Nong Khai province on April 16 where she tested positive for Covid-19 and was admitted for observation.
Under an agreement made between the Immigration Police Departments of Laos and Thailand in December 2018, Lao immigration officials arranged with their Thai counterparts for Ms Phavady to be returned to Laos after she was no longer infected with the virus.
Lao police will now question Ms Phavady and are preparing to charge her with violating immigration regulations, foreigner management regulations, the civil code, the Law on the Prevention and Control of Communicable Disease, and other regulations.
Colonel Saisaming thanked Thai police for returning Ms Phavady to Laos at the request of the Lao government.
On April 30, 85 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed, bringing the total number of known cases to 757.
To date, 508 cases have been recorded in Vientiane, 93 in Champassak, 31 in Bokeo, 25 in Savannakhet, 14 in Luang Prabang, 10 in Vientiane province, six in Luang Namtha, three in Phongsaly, four in Oudomxay, three in Xayaboury, six in Saravan, and one each in Borikhamxay, Xekong, Khammuan,and  Xieng Khuang provinces.

By Phomphong Laoin
(Latest Update May 3, 2021)