With Lunar New Year celebrations underway, a senior Ministry of Health official has warned that preventative measures remain crucial as new cases of the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variants are detected every day.

“Some people seem to have become negligent and don’t seem to be implementing these measures properly. Some are not being careful to protect themselves adequately, even as Cambodia moves towards a socio-economic recovery,” ministry spokeswoman Or Vandine said on February 1.

She also observed that some people were gathering in large groups.

The transmission of the virus, especially Omicron, is a daily occurrence, with the ministry releasing daily reports on the numbers of infected people.

“We must all work hard together to ensure the sustainability of our daily lives under the new normal. The three dos and three don’ts must become second nature,” Vandine said.

She urged people to take care of themselves, especially during the Lunar New Year celebrations.

Vandine once again called on people to ensure that their vaccination status was up to date.

“It is very important for everyone to receive [at least] the third dose, so please, if you are due for your booster, get inoculated soon to boost your immune system and prevent serious harm should you catch the virus,” she said.

According to the ministry, as of January 31 more than 460,000 people had received four doses, while 5.6 million had been given three shots.

It said 102 per cent of the target adult population of 10 million had been vaccinated, while 99.53 per cent of those aged 12 to under 18 had been jabbed.

Overall, 89.71 per cent of the Kingdom’s estimated 16 million population have been vaccinated against Covid-19.