Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine has observed that the rapid increase in the number of Covid-19 infections can likely be attributed to the large number of wedding ceremonies in recent months as they return to pre-pandemic levels.

Vandine opined that the behaviours observed in these mass gatherings were ripe for Covid-19 transmission.

She illustrated specific scenarios that demonstrated high transmission risk. “We may be wearing masks and washing [our] hands,” she said, “but once we eat, we have to take off the mask and sit next to each other, and sometimes [there is] cheering and tossing [of food], which causes [rapid] transmission [of] infection.”

Vandine, who is also head of the national Covid-19 vaccination committee, added that the increased number of gatherings has led to a proportionate increase in transmission rates of the virus.

Though she acknowledged that Cambodian society is learning to live with the presence of Covid-19, she said “it does not mean we [can] forget all the measures to protect ourselves”, and made reference to the three dos and three don’ts protocol.

Vandine said she had observed that the government-instituted measure has been increasingly neglected, with mask wearing appearing to be on the decline. Last week, she warned that such negligence gave the virus a free pass to “attack”.

She called on the public to continue working together to maintain social normality, warning that if infections skyrocketed, the effects could be potentially catastrophic – in a nod back to the February 2020 community outbreak. Whether or not the situation would turn serious would be down to the level of participation of Cambodians in practicing public health measures, she said.

Vandine reiterated her plea to those who had yet to get whichever form of vaccination was available to them – whether it was their first or booster shots – to do so urgently.

She shifted from a community-based tone to an individual approach this time, urging those who had not gotten their first dose to “please get the vaccine not just for everyone’s health, but primarily your own personal health”.

Prime Minister Hun Sen recently urged Cambodians to reduce entertainment-based gatherings so as to prevent the spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant.

Health minister Mam Bun Heng warned last week that the pandemic was far from over and that Cambodia was tackling the virus on a day-to-day basis. Like Vandine, he highlighted the need for personal responsibility in practicing health measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

“We must act now to take joint responsibility to stop the spread of Covid-19 in our community. Your health should be your top priority. It’s up to you, your family and your community to stop the spread of the virus,” he said.

As the Kingdom gradually shifts gears to living with the virus, construction of the Techo Santepheap Covid-19 Treatment Centre in Phnom Penh kicked off on February 14, with a groundbreaking ceremony presided over by Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng.

A total of 11 buildings are scheduled to be built in a 7ha compound in Prek Pnov district’s Kouk Roka commune.

According to the municipal administration, construction began following instructions from Prime Minister Hun Sen, who urged that the facility be available for use within a year.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sreng said the premier had recommended building the centre as soon as possible. The building is especially needed in Phnom Penh where Covid-19 was spreading rapidly in the community, he added.

“The prompt construction of this facility demonstrates the strength of our response to the pandemic. We do not know when it will end, and so we must learn to live under the new normal,” he said.

In late 2021, Hun Sen advised that a Covid-19 treatment centre be constructed, suggesting that it should be able to accommodate tens of thousands of people and have hundreds of emergency beds.

The premier has ruled that, providing they comply with the health ministry’s guidelines, Covid-19 patients, including those with the Omicron variant, can be treated at home.

On February 15, the ministry reported 184 new Covid-19 cases, nine of which were imported and all were confirmed to be Omicron.

The number was a significant drop from the previous day, where nearly 500 Omicron community cases were recorded.

As of February 14, the vaccination rate in Cambodia had reached nearly 90 per cent of the Kingdom’s estimated population of 16 million, according to the ministry.