Taskforce orders urgent assistance for Covid-hit provinces

The National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control has ordered the deployment of medical staff, medicines and equipment to provinces that are overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients.
As numerous migrant workers flock home from Thailand where a severe outbreak of the virus is taking place, the influx has seen treatment and quarantine facilities in some central and southern provinces struggling to cope with the high numbers.
Central Savannakhet province and southern Champassak province, which border on Thailand, have registered a high number of people carrying the virus each day.
The national Covid-19 taskforce on Friday held an online meeting with provincial taskforces and ordered that urgent assistance be provided to these provinces.
Chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the national taskforce, Prof. Dr Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, the meeting instructed the provinces to improve and expand quarantine and treatment facilities so they are sufficient to accommodate the returnees.  
Authorities were told to allocate a budget for the provinces, especially those with a high number of Covid cases.
Provincial authorities, particularly in Savannakhet and Champassak, were told to contact neighbouring provinces in Thailand to get an estimate of the number of migrant workers expected to return to Laos, and their estimated time of return.
Authorities were also told to provide support to frontline officials, including medical staff and volunteers.
The taskforce instructed the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to collect information and register returning migrant workers so that authorities in charge could devise skill training plans for the returnees.
In addition, the authorities were told to contact the relevant bodies, the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and development projects in Laos, so they could prepare to hire returning workers in the future.
Authorities in charge were also asked to plan for Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh and his deputies to make working trips to affected provinces to give guidance on virus prevention and control to local authorities.    
As of July 25, Laos had confirmed 4,762 Covid-19 cases including new 142 cases that were identified among migrant workers returning from neighbouring countries. Five deaths have from the virus have been recorded so far.
On July 24, a total of 1,324 people entered Laos at various border crossings. All of them were tested for Covid-19 and are now undergoing a 14-day period of quarantine.
Nationwide, 49 quarantine centres have been set up and are operational, where 9,083 people are currently accommodated.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
(Latest Update July 26, 2021)