There’s currently no topic that concerns people more than the viral disease corona. That’s why we decided to write an article about it and inform you about the current situation in Laos. Even if you might assume otherwise, the situation seems to be stable so far. However, there are many experts who fear that a silent epidemic could occur in Laos. Many actually can’t even believe that the numbers are real. This is understandable, since eventually the dynamics of the corona virus are similar to the flu. Therefore stopping it is a really difficult task and since other countries way more far from China than Laos, have people infected by corona, it’s nearly impossible that there aren’t any cases in Laos. But as long as there’s no new information, we’ve to assume that this is the case and simply hope for the best.
Since we traveled to Laos when the corona disease started spreading, we can certainly assure you one thing: Whether someone is infected or not, the virus has its effects on the country. People’s lives have changed without question. We can say this from personal experience, as we have spoken to many of those affected from the current situation. And like in many other countries in the world, people suffer from the virus. Maybe not directly, but at least indirectly. Everyday life in Laos is definitely not what it was before the virus broke out. If you’re interested about the corona situation in Laos, just continue reading our article. Despite the current situation we would say that traveling to Laos is still safe. You probably will get controlled at the border but that shouldn’t be much of an issue as long as you’re healthy. By the way, the picture of this article was taken directly at the Laotian border in Nong Khai. At that time, however, the situation wasn’t as precarious as it’s currently.
How the corona virus affects the Laotian economy
Economically Laos is undoubtedly hit by the corona crisis. As in many other countries, the tourism sector (among others) is heavily suffering from the virus. When we arrived in Vang Vieng, we noticed that directly. Normally, regardless of the season, there are always a lot of Koreans in Vang Vieng. This is something you’ll notice straight away when you arrive there. This time, however, that wasn’t the case and we were immediately wondering why. After asking some locals we got the answer. Since Korea at that time was one of the most affected countries, Laos decided to control Korean tourists more closely. We could actually see that ourselves at the border. Since Korea now seems to have the outbreak under control, the situation may change soon, although we actually don’t think that. For many Koreans, these strict conditions are a reason to refrain from visiting Laos. Many simply find the situation too stressful.
Measures of the Laotian government to prevent an outbreak
The government in Laos has taken some measures, to prevent an outbreak of the corona virus. We can personally confirm that controls are carried out both at airports and at national borders. Especially tourists from China and Korea should expect a health check. But that’s not all that’s being done to fight the virus. Some border checkpoints even got closed completely. Among them the airport in Savannakhet. Since we lack reliable information, we can’t tell you how the situation is now. Maybe some border checkpoints got open again. But even if that’s not the case, you still can travel to Laos. Both the land border in Nongkhai and the airport in Vientiane are still open.
In addition to such direct measures, the government in Laos is also trying to raise public awareness of the threat. Everywhere you can see notices about the disease, how to avoid it and what to do if you suspect that you are ill. The Laotian government also advises the country’s companies to avoid hiring foreign workers. Otherwise the corona virus may outbreak and rapidly spread all over Laos. Despite these measures, it remains to be seen how the Corona situation will develop in Laos. So far there seem to be no infected people but the disease has also outbreaked in numerous industrialized countries. No taken measure has prevent that.
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