The Prime Minister’s Office of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has instructed relevant authorities to review and draw up plans to deal with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak as the number of cases continues to rise. 

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a notice on 26 April asking COVID-19 prevention and control taskforces at all levels to compile a list of the resources they required, including medical equipment, medicines, and money. 

The National Taskforce for COVID-19 Prevention and Control was instructed to work with central and local authorities to prepare and ensure that sufficient quarantine and treatment centers were available in addition to hospitals. Government stressed the need to increase the number of medical staff and volunteers working at all treatment centers. 

Central and local state departments in areas where COVID-19 cases have occurred were told to arrange for civil servants and staff to work from home. Government also assigned relevant authorities to assess the economic impacts of the lockdown, which has been imposed in Vientiane and eight provinces, with recommended policies and measures to help overcome these impacts.

This article was first published on the SERD Newsletter on 5 May 2021.