Vientiane (VNA) – The COVID-19 pandemic in Laos hasbeen gradually controlled with new infection cases falling, especially in majorcities.
The Lao Health Ministry on May 11 announced that there were35 new infections in the past 24 hours, including nine in Vientiane, fiveimported in Champasak and 20 in Tonpheung district of Bokeo province borderingChina.
So far, Laos has recorded 1,362 infections, 297 of them haverecovered and one death.
Meanwhile, the Cambodian Health Ministry reported that thenumber of new cases decreased on the third consecutive day, reaching 480 on May11, raising the total to 20,223. Of which, 8,170 have been given all-clear fromthe virus.
Earlier on May 10, Australia signed an agreement with theUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide an additional aid of3.15 million USD to help Cambodia mitigate the impacts of the pandemic.
Also on May 11, Cambodia received the third batch of Sinovacvaccine with 500,000 doses from China.
The nation has so far received more than 4 million doses ofvaccines, including 1.7 million doses of Sinopharm aided by the ChineseGovernment, 2 million Sinovac doses bought from China and 324,000 AstraZenicathrough COVAX Facility.
To date, more than 1.8 million Cambodians have beenvaccinated against COVID-19./.
The Vietnam-Laos and Vietnam-India Friendship Associations on May 6 sent dispatches to their chapters at the provincial and municipal level on raising money to support pandemic-affected people in the two countries.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage many Southeast Asian countries, with the exception of Brunei which on May 6 marked one year free from COVID-19 transmission in the community.
The Cambodian Ministry of Health on May 8 reported 538 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infection so far to 18,717, including 7,340 recoveries.
The Lao health ministry on May 10 afternoon said the country detected 25 cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, the lowest number recorded in the country over the last 18 days.
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.
In Laos (Photo: thestar.com.my) 
