H. E Or Vandine issues Khmer New Year warning over rising Omicron

H. E Or Vandine issues Khmer New Year warning over rising Omicron

Omicron infections have increased to over 9,000 cases, Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine has announced, as she warned that cases could soon top five figures if the spread of transmissions was not slowed.

In an interview with National Television of Cambodia on March 2, Vandine – who is also head of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Committee – said the number of transmissions is concerning with no immediate end in sight.

She issued a plea to the public to “be careful” in light of the 9,241 cases officially recorded.

Hundreds of infections have been reported every day, she noted, a number that only comprised those who had taken PCR tests.

Vandine said she was aware that many people had returned positive results through the use of rapid tests and had elected to recover at home, meaning that the number of positive cases was likely far higher than has been officially reported.

She warned that the current four-digit number of cases would soon explode into the tens of thousands, especially given that the traditional Khmer New Year will be observed in about a month’s time – which would see a significant amount of different households mingling.

“We have to learn to live with the virus by getting back to normal life, but this should be in a new way that includes adhering to preventative measures,” she said.

She also raised the possibility of a new strain of the virus emerging, but said that studies investigating it were not yet widely available.

“We should not focus too much on the evolution of the virus, but [rather, should focus] on our health. Please remember that prevention is better than treatment,” she said. Phnom Penh Post