Prime Minister Hun Sen called on the public to remain vigilant against all forms of communicable diseases, in particular the Ebola virus, warning that it could arrive in Cambodia at any time.
While distributing rice seed and emergency food supplies to nearly 7,000 households in Kampong Thom province on October 29, he also urged the public to continue protecting themselves from Covid-19 although the situation has improved.
He reminded those whose vaccinations are not up to date that they should take advantage of the more than eight million Covid-19 vaccine doses that Cambodia currently has in stock.
“Get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible. There are still some people who have not received their first or second doses, and at least four million people are now due to get their third jab,” he said.
The premier said that even if people got infected with Covid-19, up-to-date vaccinations would reduce their chances of suffering serious or life-threatening symptoms.
He stressed that there is no shortage of vaccines, noting that in addition to the more than eight million doses in stock, another 15 million would be on their way from China, as soon as they are needed.
The US has also promised 7.5 million doses, two million of which have been delivered, he said, noting that the remaining would not be delivered yet as they would spoil if left idle.
“We are not sure what might happen next. There is no way to predict what kinds of strange diseases may appear in the future. Ebola is responsible for many deaths in Africa right now, and we cannot guarantee that cases will not appear here. This is why we must remain mindful of preventative measures,” he said.
He added that because of the invisible nature of the virus, precautions should always be taken.
According to the Ministry of Health, as of October 30, Cambodia had recorded a total of 137,988 Covid-19 cases, with 134,923 recoveries and 3,056 deaths.
The Covid-19 vaccination rate as of October 29 was 95.10 per cent of the country’s estimated population of 16 million. More than 10 million people have received their third dose, 4.5 million their fourth and over one million their fifth.
