Laos face third wave of COVID-19

The National Taskforce for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Laos has announced that the country is facing a third wave of coronavirus infections.

A citizen in Laos receives COVID-19 vaccine jab. (Photo: VNA)

Although the numbers were recently quite low, sometimes below 200 cases per day, the country is seeing higher numbers now during this new outbreak, said an official from the taskforce.

A rise in cases of the Omicron variant, particularly in Vientiane, may be causing the country to experience its third wave, he said.

Although deaths from the Omicron variant are typically fewer than those caused by Delta and other COVID-19 variants, the Omicron strain remains dangerous for persons over 60 years or those with underlying conditions.

Lao health officials have stated on previous occasions that due to a rise in home testing and care, the officially reported daily caseload may not reflect the real number of cases in the community at any one time.

Over the last 24 hours, Laos documented 413 new COVID-19 cases and three related deaths, the Ministry of Health reported. So far, the country’s national caseload exceeded 145,500 and death toll stood at 640./.

VNA