Health workers take care of a COVID-19 patient in Vientiane, Laos (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – More than 40,700 people in Laos received thefirst shot of COVID-19 vaccine as of March 15, the Lao News Agency (KPL)reported on March 19.
The inoculation drive prioritises people with high risks of infection,including those who are working in the frontline, health workers and staff atimmigration offices and border gates.
The country is preparing for the second phase of the campaign startingfrom mid-March to early April, according to the Vientiane Times daily.
About 20 percent of the population, or 1.6 million people, will bevaccinated this year. The vaccine coverage is expected to reach half of Laos’population by next year and 70 percent by 2023.
As of March 19, the Southeast Asian nation had recorded 49 cases sinceit detected the first COVID-19 infection last March.
Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told the Ministry ofHealth to organise a 15-day vaccination campaign using AstraZeneca vaccine formore than 50,000 people aged over 60 in all districts in Phnom Penh.
He said a shipment of Sinovac vaccine will arrive in Cambodia onMarch 26.
The National TradeUnions Coalition (NTUC) on March 17 sent a letter to the Ministry of Labourrequesting that the government cancel the upcoming traditional Khmer New Yearthis year, due to fear of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of March 19, the country’s Health Ministry reported a total 1,578COVID-19 cases, with 917 recoveries./.
Lao authorities continue to implement preventive measures and closely monitor people entering the country to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 outbreak.
The Philippines Department of Health (DOH) reported 3,045 new COVID-19 cases on March 5, the record number in four months, raising the total count in the country to 587,704.
The Cambodian Ministry of Health on March 16 reported an additional 105 COVID-19 cases linked to the "February 20 community incident", bringing the total to 915 in less than a month.
The National Police under the Interior Ministry of Cambodia have planned to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the upcoming Khmer New Year in April, the context of increasing number of infections in the country.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Health workers take care of a COVID-19 patient in Vientiane, Laos (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
