Hanoi (VNA) - The Lao Ministry of Health saidon August 20 that in the past 24 hours, the country recorded 440 new COVID-19 cases and 2deaths.

This is the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a single dayrecorded in Laos.

According to the Lao Ministry of Health, among the newcases, 365 imported cases were immediately quarantined. Savannakhet provincecontinued to record the highest new cases of COVID-19 with 135 cases, including 58cases of community transmission.

The Lao Government requested localities to accelerate thevaccination drive while strictly control immigration activities.

At the sametime, Laos is considering cooperation with China in researching andimplementing pilot production of COVID-19 vaccine in Laos and aiming towards mass production.

In a related move, the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports required leaders of educational institutionsto direct the full vaccination of officials and employees before the start ofthe new school year which falls on September 1.

The ministry also urged parentsto allow children to come back school and put faith in the active COVID-19prevention and control measures.

To date, the total number of COVID-19 infections in Laos hasreached 11,753 cases, including 11 deaths.

In the Philippines, the Department of Health on August 20 reported 17,231 new infections in the past 24 hours, the highest level in a day.

The country's total count exceeded 1.8 million, of whom 31,198 patients died of the disease.

Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 infections inThailand since the beginning of the epidemic has exceeded the 1 million benchmark.

On August20, Thailand’s Ministry of Health announced 19,851 new cases and 240 deaths in the last 24hours, bringing the total number of infections to 1,009,710 and the death toll to 8,826./.