People waiting for their second dose of Covid-19 vaccine have been asked to be patient and not rush for a shot before their scheduled appointment as it could cause congestion at vaccination centres and possibly spread the virus, Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine said.

Vandine, who is also head of the ad-hoc national commission on Covid-19 vaccination programme, urged people to follow the commission’s announcement.

"It means that if your first dose was on April 1, then please come on April 20 for the second dose. For those vaccinated on April 2, 3, 4 or 5, please do not come as it could create congestion which could lead to a high risk of transmission of Covid-19. Maybe we have not had the second dose yet, but [a person] turns out to be infected with Covid-19,” she said.

She noted that people were worried about shortages of the vaccine for a second dose, so they have rushed to get injected without following the appointment date.

However, she claimed that second doses for Covid-19 vaccine are not in short supply, so people should not worry.

"Due to people’s concerns, many people come for a vaccine which leads to congestion. It means they don’t come on the right date… and exceeds the number that medical teams could inject in one day," she said.

Vandine also asked people who get vaccinated to follow the correct health procedures to protect themselves and medical teams providing vaccines so there is no risk of transmission.

Vandine also expressed concern about another outbreak, which could occur when the lockdown is lifted, and people go out in large numbers without proper protection.

"Once the lockdown is lifted, people could leave the house. Please continue to use protection because that is a concern. Another concern is that when people go out of the house, it could trigger a new outbreak," she said.

"Staying at home is a good option to prevent the transmission of Covid-19," Vandine wrote on Sunday.

"It is imperative that we prepare in advance before we move out of the lockdown, otherwise another outbreak could happen and be more dangerous than today," she said.

Vandine stated that everyone was exhausted. What would happen if there was another outbreak?

"If individuals and communities do not work together to prevent a recurrence of the Covid-19 virus after walking out of the lockdown, I almost do not dare to think about that. But I must warn you in advance all about these points,” she said.

According to Vandine, people can be safe from infection if everyone can change their behaviour.

As of April 25, Cambodia had recorded a total of 9,975 Covid-19 cases, with 6,495 undergoing treatment and 75 confirmed fatalities.