Two Laotians newly infected with Covid-19 are believed to have contracted the virus from Thai nationals, according to a Lao newspaper.
Laos registered two new infections, bringing the tally of confirmed cases to 60, the Vientiane Times reported on Wednesday.
The new cases were a 25-year-old Lao woman, along with another Lao female whose age was not reported, and both were linked to Thailand, according to Laos' National Task Force Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.
Lao Deputy Health Minister Phouthone Muongpak said investigations into the first case found the infected woman met two Thai men who illegally crossed the Mekong River by boat to Savannakhet on April 6 before boarding a bus to Vientiane on April 7.
The deputy minister said that after she developed symptoms, a test at a hospital in the Lao capital on Monday found she was infected, according to the Vientiane Times.
The second case visited Thailand, including Bangkok, from April 7 until Sunday for cosmetic treatments. She illegally crossed back from Nong Khai to Vientiane on Monday, and tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday.
Lao Prime Minister Phankhm Viphavanh has ordered authorities to deploy strict measures to crack down on illegal border crossings to prevent the import of Covid-19 to the country, the report said.
