Precautions and vaccinations, according to the health minister, will help Laos become Covid-free

Despite the fact that case counts have decreased, Laos cannot yet declare that Covid-19 instances are occurring exclusively in isolated places, according to a senior health ministry official.

Dr Phonepaseuth Ounaphom, Director General of the Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion, told Vientiane Times last week that the fact that new instances of Covid are being reported every day suggests that an extended outbreak is still a possibility.

"If we wish to announce that Covid has become a localised disease, we need to record zero Covid instances for 14 days in a row." He stated, "This is what the World Health Organization says."

When that happens, we may decrease Covid preventative measures and announce to the world that Laos, like Cambodia, is free of the disease.

To meet this goal, everyone must continue to follow the Covid prevention guidelines established by the National Taskforce on Covid-19 Prevention and Control, according to Dr. Phonepaseuth.

Wearing a face mask, hand-washing regularly, and remaining at least two metres away from other individuals in public settings are among them.

However, taskforce members have seen that some people have become complacent and no longer bother to follow this advice, particularly when in crowded settings, and do not wear a face mask.

Vaccination is also necessary for everyone to keep safe, according to Dr. Phonepaseuth.

"Reducing Covid transmission requires vaccination. If we can obtain a high vaccination rate, we will create immunity, and the population will be considerably better protected, resulting in a progressive decline in illness rates."

More than 5 million people (79.18 percent of the population) had gotten their first dose of Covid vaccine as of June 12, and more than 5 million people (69.32 percent) had received their entire vaccination.