Cambodia has ranked fourth out of 121 countries in the Nikkei Covid-19 Recovery Index and top of the pile for the ASEAN region, scoring 76.5, according to this month’s latest update.
Prime Minister Hun Sen hailed Cambodia’s continued high ranking, praising the public for their participation in the fight against Covid-19 for the Kingdom achieving the result.
Cambodia had ranked number one, before dropping to second place for a number of months.
In the current index, the Kingdom placed below Bahrain, Qatar and Rwanda, but ahead of Portugal, Argentina, Ecuador and Vietnam.
“After tying for 100th place when the ranking was first published in July 2021, Cambodia and Vietnam have achieved a dramatic turnaround, ranking in the top 10 for four straight months.
“Some other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have also significantly improved from a year ago, when ASEAN countries occupied the last few spots,” the Nikkei report said.
The index assesses 121 countries and regions and evaluates them based on the rate of infection, and the management of vaccine rollouts and social mobility.
“A higher ranking indicates a more advanced recovery, characterised by lower infection and death rates, better inoculation coverage and fewer restrictions on movement,” the report said.
Cambodia has reported zero new Covid cases for four consecutive days since October 20, with only 21 patients across the country as of October 24, according to the Ministry of Health.
Prime Minister Hun Sen, while distributing rice seeds to more than 10,000 families in Battambang province on October 24, said the achievement was down to the measures taken by the government and the role the public played in following them.
“While we have had zero new Covid case for four days, this doesn’t mean that Covid isn’t still near us. It is remains an invisible enemy. We cannot yet declare complete victory in the war against Covid, but we can say we are winning the battle.
“We are number four on the Nikkei index out of more than 100 countries. But it is not just the government or Hun Sen who made this happen, it’s a success for us all because our people accepted and followed the anti-Covid measures,” Hun Sen said.
