A senior Ministry of Health official said Cambodia has so far detected more than 200 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant, both from abroad and within the community, though none of the patients has had any serious health problems thus far.
Ministry secretary of state Youk Sambath said on January 12 that each individual must exercise extreme caution and strive to strengthen the implementation of the preventive health measures in force.
“So far our country has had more than 200 Omicron cases, but none of the Omicron-infected patients in our hospitals have any serious symptoms because they have been properly vaccinated,” she said.
She emphasised that the patients were being looked after by experienced doctors.
“Across the country, we have five treatment centres for Omicron-infected patients in Phnom Penh, and in some provinces we admit them into provincial hospitals, such as in Siem Reap, Pursat and Kampot. These patients have not had any severe symptoms,” she added.
The five hospitals for patients detected with the variant are the National Centre for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control (CENAT), Olympic Stadium, Chak Angre Health Centre, Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital and Luang Mer Hospital.
Separately, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Ith Sam Heng urged all owners and directors of factories and enterprises to educate workers and employees about the need for booster shots to contain the spread of Omicron.
He said in a notice on January 12 that the businesses must cooperate with relevant authorities and medical teams of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) to provide booster shots to their workers and employees on site or at a designated location.
“Owners of factories and enterprises have to allow employees to be vaccinated at a designated location and offer one paid day off for the day they are vaccinated with a booster shot,” the notice said.
The ministry said owners or directors of factories and enterprises should fill in the information on the first and second doses and booster shots received by their employees via its website sicms.mlvt. gov.kh