Laos locks down capital Vientiane as Covid-19 cases hit record high, SE Asia


Source: straitstimes.com straitstimes.com

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VIENTIANE (AFP) - Laos has locked down its capital Vientiane and barred travel between Covid-19-hit provinces, as cases soared to a record high. The communist country appeared to have escaped the brunt of the pandemic in 2020, and by March this year had reported fewer than 60 cases - though the low number was due in part to limited testing. But a surge since mid-April has seen its caseload steadily increase, and on Saturday (Sept 18) the country reported 467 new cases of community infection, its highest ever single-day tally. The mayor of Vientiane, where the bulk of the cases...