Medical certification is not required in all circumstances for travel to foreign countries, according to the Lao Ministry of Health.
News reports across a variety of publications, including the Laotian Times, have reported that the National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control has declared that all travelers, whether residents or Lao citizens, must carry a medical certificate before visiting another country.
According to a report in Xinhua, the reason given for travelers exiting Laos obtaining a medical certificate was to avoid the spread of Covid-19.
Local daily Vientiane Times, wrote in a story last week that all travelers exiting Laos will be required to produce a medical certificate for their destination country to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Dr. Phonepadith Sangxayalath, Director of the National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology (NCLE), Ministry of Health, has helped to clarify this information.
While Lao authorities, according to Dr. Phonepadith, have not imposed mandatory health certification prior to exiting the country, certification is an entry requirement for many neighboring countries.
This information has not yet appeared in any official document issued by the government, although a notice is said will be issued soon.
The news of mandatory certification caused panic among many foreign residents wishing to return home, worried about delays in testing or the capacity of the country to implement testing and certification for all travelers prior to departure.
