Lead the battle against coronavirus as in wartime, Party committees ordered

Party committees at all levels have been told to give guidance and command the fight against Covid-19 as if it were a war situation, to counter the surge in infections.
The Secretariat of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party on April 25 issued an order asking all Party committees to accept that prevention, protection, and control with regard to Covid-19 is a ‘strategic and urgent task of their leadership and commanding should be done as in wartime’.
“This is the most important factor to ensure that our country is able to control the virus outbreak,” the secretariat said in the three-page order, which demanded that leadership action be escalated to contain the virus.
The order was issued in the wake of a rapid rise in the number of infections. This has been attributed to a woman dubbed a “super spreader” after she spent time with two Thai men and another Lao woman and reportedly contracted the virus while in their company as they visited several places of entertainment in Vientiane.
The outbreak has resulted in lockdowns being imposed in Vientiane and six other provinces.
The secretariat’s order aims to contain the outbreak and calls for all Party committees to consider measures to mitigate and recover from the socio-economic impacts.
Party committees were told to place great importance on providing the necessary equipment and facilities to frontline officials fighting the outbreak, while considering awarding them for their contributions and services.
The committees were told to oversee the implementation of all prevention and control measures and ensure they are fully enforced, and to keep at-risk communities, areas and sectors under lockdown while considering easing controls in places where conditions are favourable.
The secretariat told the government and all branches of administration to assess the outbreak risk in order to prepare personnel, medical equipment, medicines, and quarantine and treatment facilities for infected people.
The sectors concerned were told to step up efforts to coordinate with and secure more assistance from friendly countries, international organisations and civil organisations in the fight against Covid-19. 
Party committees were told to provide guidance during the rollout of vaccinations to ensure targets are reached. The secretariat told Party committees to raise public awareness in order to encourage everyone to continually observe prevention measures, including wearing face masks, washing hands and social distancing.
All Party committees were told to give guidance for the prompt provision of accurate information concerning the virus outbreak to the public in order to counter misinformation.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update April 27, 2021)