Vientiane: The Laos government has cut the required Covid-19 quarantine period for new arrivals from 14 days to seven days for certain types of visitors.
Deputy Head of the Prime Minister’s Office Thipphakone Chanthavongsa said that ambassadors or embassy staff, representatives or employees of international organisations, and their family members that arrive in or return to Laos must take an RT-PCR test and undertake quarantine at their own residence for seven days, reports Xinhua news agency.
Government representatives at every level who work or attend seminars abroad, and Lao nationals who return from abroad, must take an RT-PCR test and await the result within 48 hours at an approved quarantine centre.
Those who receive a negative result may then continue quarantine for seven days at their own residence.
Investors and business people must take an RT-PCR test and await the result within 48 hours at an approved location. Those who receive a negative result may conduct their business but will be required to wear a wrist monitor for seven days.
Foreign nationals who arrive in or return to Laos from abroad must take an RT-PCR test and await the result at an approved quarantine location. Those who receive a negative result may then continue quarantine for seven days at their own residence and will be required to wear a wrist monitor.
All foreign nationals that reside in Laos are required to download and use the Lao KYC mobile phone application (Lao SU SU service) for the purpose of creating a vaccine ID to be used as digital confirmation of vaccine status.
The app is to be used to determine one’s health status upon entry into government offices, restaurants, shops and other public areas.
According to the announcement, all indoor and outdoor sports facilities are now permitted to fully open on the condition that they adhere to Covid-19 guidelines.
Nightclubs and karaoke bars are still not permitted to reopen.
As of Friday, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Laos reached 135,660 with 562 deaths.
