People queue for free food from a community pantry amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on Apr 23, 2021. (Photo: Reuters)Hanoi (VNA) - The number of COVID-19 casesin the Philippines passed the milestone of 1 million on April 26 as theinfections continued to surge in the country.
The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reportedon the day 8,929 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number ofconfirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,006,428.
The death toll climbed to 16,853 after 70 morepatients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.
The 1 million mark comes just over three months afterthe Philippines surpassed 500,000 COVID-19 cases on January 17. The infectionssurged in March this year, surpassing the previous peak in August 2020. Thegovernment placed Metro Manila and four adjacent provinces, home to over 28million people, under a strict lockdown since the end of March.
Meanwhile, Laos reported 113 new confirmed COVID-19cases on April 26, of which 54 were detected in Champasak province, 31 inVientiane, 13 in Savannakhet, seven in Bokeo, and the others in Oudomxay,Phongsaly Sekong, Xayaboury, Luang Prabang and Vientiane province.
With the 31 new cases, including two Vietnamese,Vientiane capital city now counts 274 infections.
On the day, five more provinces in Laos reportedinfections, raising the total number of Lao localities with COVID-19 cases to14 out of 18. Notably, seven of them border the nine Vietnamese provinces ofSon La, Dien Bien, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue,Quang Nam and Kon Tum.
The Lao Ministry of Health and the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) worried that Vientiane could document some 2,000 SARS-CoV-2infections in the second wave.
In the face of the complex developments of thepandemic in Laos, the Vietnamese Embassy in the country has called on theVietnamese community there to stay calm, step up prevention measures, thinktwice about returning home and seriously observe measures set by the Laogovernment.
Meanwhile, WHO representative in Cambodia Li Ailansaid the current outbreaks in factories and markets serve as a painfulreminder of the importance of investing in mitigation measures before casesoccur, in order to help prevent the virus from spreading.
The call was made in the context that Cambodia logged 9,975 COVID-19 infections, and 74 deaths.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on April 25 orderedtightened measures to prevent the outbreak.
In Thailand, new restriction measures were introduced, trying to halt the spiraling outbreak.
Wearing face masks is now compulsory in public spacesin Bangkok as well as other 46 provinces. Violators risk a fine up to 20,000THB (640 USD) under the Communicable Disease Act.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Thailand isincreasing. As of April 26, the country recorded 57,508 cases, including 148deaths./.
VNA
