VIENTIANE, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Lao Ministry of Health on Tuesday reported 54 more imported COVID-19 cases and two new locally transmitted cases, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections to 2,356 in the Southeast Asian country.
Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control under the Ministry of Health, Sisavath Soutthaniraxay, told a press conference in the Lao capital Vientiane on Tuesday that among the imported cases, 44 cases were reported in Champasak province, seven in Savannakhet province, and three in Vientiane.
The Delta and Kappa strains, the COVID-19 virus' variants of concern, were detected in imported cases in Champasak, prompting the government to extend certain lockdown measures for another two weeks.
Lao health authorities have advised citizens to continue to comply with the measures imposed by the Lao government in efforts to keep the virus under control, saying no one is totally safe even after having two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Laos stands at 2,356 with three deaths.
A total of 2,045 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the pandemic and been discharged from hospitals.
Laos reported its first two confirmed cases of COVID-19 on March 24 last year. Enditem