Hanoi (VNA) - The Lao Ministry of Health said on August 20 that in the past 24 hours, the country recorded 440 new COVID-19 cases and 2 deaths.

 

This is the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a single day recorded in Laos.

According to the Lao Ministry of Health, among the new cases, 365 imported cases were immediately quarantined. Savannakhet province continued to record the highest new cases of COVID-19 with 135 cases, including 58 cases of community transmission.

The Lao Government requested localities to accelerate the vaccination drive while strictly control immigration activities.

 

At the same time, Laos is considering cooperation with China in researching and implementing pilot production of COVID-19 vaccine in Laos and aiming towards mass production.

In a related move, the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports required leaders of educational institutions to direct the full vaccination of officials and employees before the start of the new school year which falls on September 1.

 

The ministry also urged parents to allow children to come back school and put faith in the active COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

To date, the total number of COVID-19 infections in Laos has reached 11,753 cases, including 11 deaths.

 

In the Philippines, the Department of Health on August 20 reported 17,231 new infections in the past 24 hours, the highest level in a day.

 

The country's total count exceeded 1.8 million, of whom 31,198 patients died of the disease.

Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand since the beginning of the epidemic has exceeded the 1 million benchmark.

 

On August 20, Thailand’s Ministry of Health announced 19,851 new cases and 240 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 1,009,710 and the death toll to 8,826./.