VIENTIANE, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Laos has strictly implemented measures by following the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) on prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lao Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongphanh Savanphet conveyed information on the government's actions and practices to delegates of ASEAN countries through a video conference of the first meeting of ASEAN Coordination Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies (ACCWG-PHE) held on Tuesday.
"Since the first outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019, at the national level, the Lao government has undertaken prevention protection measures in line with the WHO guidelines for early detection and prevention against the COVID-19 outbreak," Thongphanh said.
The establishment of the National Prevention, Control, and Response Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 also sees allocations to an emergency fund for the response, according to the deputy minister.
The Lao health official provides information on COVID-19 prevention, also reports daily number of suspected cases and infected cases in the country, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Friday.
Lock-down measures have also been in effect to prevent unnecessary travel between provinces and districts. Lao government officials and employees of all sectors have been encouraged to work at home.
The official noted the government's measures, which he said focused on both preventive and remedial actions. Main hospitals have been designated as venues to treat those infected in Vientiane capital and other provinces.
The results of the virtual meeting reaffirmed ASEAN's strong commitment to strengthening solidarity and unity amid the global outbreak of the COVID-19, which he said poses threat to the health of the people in the region, and the world at large, Thongpanh said.
