Vientiane, Sep 19 (IANS): Authorities in Laos' capital Vientiane on Sunday imposed a ban on all travels to and from the city and within four major districts from until September 30, 2021.

The four prohibited districts are Chanthaboury, Sisattanak, Sikhottabong and Xaysettha, reports Xinhua news agency.

Travels to particular areas in other three districts namely Xaythany, Hadxayfong and Naxaythong in the Lao capital were also prohibited.

The move came after Vientiane witnessed a rocket surge in community cases on Saturday.

The National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control announced that 467 new cases had been recorded nationwide over the past 24 hours including 384 locally transmitted cases.

Of the 467 cases, 265 were registered in Vientiane, the highest daily community infection ever recorded in the capital city.

More than 90 per cent of the local cases in Vientiane were linked to a garment factory in Chanthaboury district.

Up to 260 out of more than 1,000 workers employed by the factory were confirmed positive to Covid-19 on Saturday.

According to Lao News Agency (KPL), as of Sunday, the country has recorded a total of 18,814 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 16 deaths.