A total of 50,000 doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines that Cambodia had purchased from China touched down in Phnom Penh on the morning of April 17.

Ministry of Health secretary of state Youk Sambath was present at the Phnom Penh International Airport to receive the vaccines, according a broadcast by the National Television of Cambodia.

Ministry spokeswoman Or Vandine said a formal handover ceremony could not be held, at least until April 27, a day before the two-week lockdown of the capital is scheduled to be lifted – the Covid-19 situation eases.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has said Cambodia plans to vaccinate at least 10 million people, with 20 million doses required to this end.

In May, another 1,5 million doses will arrived, to be followed by three million in June, two million in July and one million in August.

«We plan to procure 20 million doses. If the vaccines arrive on schedule, we will have more than 11million doses this year.

"Now we have more than two million doses readily available to inoculate our people. On April 17, another half a million doses will arrive," Hun Sen said last week.