The Lao Government has extended the current nationwide lockdown to Aug. 18, as the COVID-19 cases continued to rise.
Deputy Head of the Prime Minister’s Office, Thipphakone Chanthavongsa, announced the extension at a news conference on Tuesday in Lao capital Vientiane.
He said that the lockdown would be extended as the COVID-19 situation in Laos is not yet fully under control and the situation in neighbouring countries remained risky.
The current nationwide lockdown, imposed on July 19, was set to expire on Tuesday.
The National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Tuesday reported 237 new imported cases and 13 locally transmitted cases.
Among the imported cases, 78 were reported in Lao capital Vientiane, 63 in Savannakhet, 48 in Champasak, 30 in Khammuan, 16 in Saravan and two in Vientiane province.
As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Laos reached 7,015 with seven deaths.
A total of 3,616 COVID-19 patients had recovered and discharged from hospitals. (Xinhua/NAN)
