ANN/VIENTIANE TIMES – The government has eased Covid-19 restrictions, including lifting the quarantine requirement for visiting businesspeople who have a negative Covid test result after entering Laos.
Upon arrival in Laos, business-related visitors must take a RT-PCR Covid test, with the result confirmed within 48 hours.
During this time, new arrivals must remain in quarantine but if a negative test result is returned they will be allowed to move freely while wearing a health monitoring device.
The same rule applies to foreign tourists entering Laos on a package tour arranged through the green (safe) tourism programme, according to a notice issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on February 3.
The notice also shortens the quarantine time for other groups of people.
Lao delegations and citizens entering Laos from a foreign country must also take a Covid test but if a negative result is returned they may go to their place of residence and self-isolate for seven days.
The rule also applies to diplomats, employees of foreign embassies to Laos, United Nations’ agencies and other international organisations.
Foreign experts, technical staff, workers, students, foreign nationals who are of Lao origin and family members of Lao citizens are subject to the same procedure and must wear a health monitoring device.
Foreign expats in Laos and new foreign incomers are required to install and register the ‘LaoKYC’ programme on their mobile phone to use the ‘Lao SUSU mobile application’ and create a vaccine ID to certify they have been vaccinated and verify their circumstances.
The government has also given the green light to provincial authorities to work with their counterparts in neighbouring countries towards re-opening local and traditional border crossings for the transport of goods.
In addition, all kinds of indoor and outdoor sports are now allowed. Restrictions have been eased following a steady decline in the number of new Covid cases reported each day.
To encourage private sector involvement in Covid testing, the government is permitting private hospitals to offer testing in line with guidance given by the Ministry of Health, the notice from the Prime Minister’s Office stated.
Authorities at all levels have been instructed to expedite the vaccination programme to immunise the Lao population against the virus.
