3 February 2021. Strategic priorities for Laos strengthening the health system in spite of COVID-19 pandemic are: resilient health system towards UHC, effective delivery of essential public health programs (including VPDs and NCDs), enhance health security (e.g. emerging infectious disease and public health emergencies), effective policy dialogue and advocacy (e.g. health leadership and multisectoral collaboration), and active partner in the Greater Mekong Subregion and ASEANhttps://reliefweb.int/report/lao-peoples-democratic-republic/disaster-management-reference-handbook-lao-pdr-february-2021

03 February 2021. Tests conducted by Beijing municipal authorities confirmed the swans had been infected with the H5N8 strain of avian influenza. District health authorities are taking no chances and have collected 257 samples from the Old Summer Palace and surrounding area.https://mbdsnet.org/mbds2020/wp-admin/post-new.php

03 February 2021. The Thai Red Cross Society is urging fully recovered Covid-19 patients to donate their plasma. The Thai Red Cross has been asking for plasma donations since April of last year. Over 400 people registered to donate the plasmahttps://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-red-cross-is-calling-on-recovered-covid-19-patients-to-donate-plasma

03 February 2021. China has announced a plan to provide 10 million coronavirus vaccine doses to developing nations through the global COVAX initiative. COVAX seeks to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have enough vaccines.https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/china-send-10-million-coronavirus-vaccine-doses-abroad-75652772

03 February 2021. Medical expert is calling on Thai people to have faith in Covid-19 vaccines and cooperate with efforts to halt the spread of the virus. Thailand was expected to begin the rollout of AstraZeneca/ Oxford University vaccine this month.https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/medical-expert-calls-on-thais-to-trust-vaccines-and-help-control-covid-19

03 February 2021. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who heads the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control, ordered all citizens to submit the mandatory health declarations. Authorities identified a new outbreak centered on Hai Duong caused by the variant of the virus first detected in the UK.https://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/covid-02032021160643.html

02 February 2021. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the norovirus in 255 kilograms of oysters from Vietnam and hepatitis A in a separate 270 kg batch of raw oysters imported from the same country.https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4117980

02 February 2021. The Lao government has instructed local authorities to carefully monitor people entering Laos and quarantine returning workers to prevent the spread of COVID-19.https://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-02/02/c_139716545.htm

01 February 2021. China has said it is cracking down on a crime ring making “fake vaccines” for Covid-19. Police departments in Jiangsu, Beijing and Shandong have arrested peoples involved in producing more than 3,000 fake Covid-19 vaccine.https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/01/asia/china-fake-covid-vaccines-intl/index.html

01 February 2021. One year since the first confirmed imported and local cases of COVID-19 were reported in Thailand in January 2020, Myanmar refugees are continuing to share COVID-19 prevention information in solidarity with the people of Thailand and in support of the ongoing efforts of the Thai Government.https://reliefweb.int/report/thailand/one-year-myanmar-refugees-support-covid-19-prevention-efforts-thailand