COVID-19 cases in Laos hit all-time high amid Omicron spread

STORY: COVID-19 cases in Laos hit all-time high amid Omicron spread DATELINE: March 25, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:36 LOCATION: Vientiane CATEGORY: HEALTH SHOTLIST: 1. various of the press conference 2. various of the people being vaccinated 3. various of Laos STORYLINE: The Lao Ministry of Health reported 2,819 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest daily number since the outbreak of the disease in the country. The previous record was 2,625 cases reported on Wednesday. At a press conference held in the capital Vientiane on Thursday, Bouaphan Khamphaphongphan, deputy director general of the National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology under the Ministry of Health, said Vientiane logged the highest number of infections at 1,086. In light of the Omicron outbreak and the spiraling number of infections, the Ministry of Health is considering canceling Lao New Year festivities which fall in April. As of Thursday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Laos reached 161,866 with 652 deaths. Xinhua Ne