Cambodian new cases are steadily decreasing, with the lowest daily tally since April 5th.

[ASEAN NOW]

 

In a remarkable run of 26 days of 'new normal' low case counts, Cambodia today posted its lowest daily new case total since April 5th, as the country inches closer to restoring travel and the economy.

 

The official daily new COVID case total for today was 112, increasing the overall number of COVID cases to 118,000.

 

PM Hun Sen stated 18 days ago, on the 8th of October, that Cambodia will be able to resume its economy across all sectors if the Covid-19 situation following Pchum Ben continues stable for at least 10-15 days, stating:

 

"If the situation does not improve in the next 10 to 15 days, I believe it is necessary to reopen the economy and society in all areas under the new normal paradigm," he said.

The Prime Minister declared today that Cambodia will enable quarantine-free entrance for air travelers from Thailand, while no precise date has been specified.

 

This comes on the heels of last week's surprising developments, which included the re-opening of the e-Visa scheme for tourists and investors, the relaxation of the quarantine period for incoming travellers, the lifting of the ban on flights from Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and the introduction of a new QR code system for checking vaccination status, all of which demonstrate the Royal Government's determination to reopen the Kingdom for business as soon as it is safe to do so.

 

The Prime Minister also stated today that the government has laid the groundwork for Cambodia's economic recovery and a return to a "new normal" by the end of the year.

 

In this mood of broad joy over the imminent reopening of the country, however, a note of caution must be struck.

 

COVID has not vanished – far from it – and, while Cambodia is significantly better prepared to handle with the pandemic threat than many other nations due to widespread immunization, it remains a devastating – albeit hopefully controlled – threat.

 

Instead, Cambodians must focus on adapting to the 'new normal,' rather than expecting the Kingdom to revert to life as it was pre-COVID.

 

It is not yet time for parties and large gatherings; rather, it is time to accept the "new normal" way of life and recognize that the COVID pandemic must be contained for the time being.

 

There are presently 98,454 Community Instances, with 19,546 cases being imported.

 

Today, ten imported cases were announced, maintaining the trend of importing few instances.

 

Cambodia also revealed 8 more deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19-related deaths in Cambodia to 2751.

 

As active cases decreased, 263 recoveries were announced, bringing the total number of active COVID cases in Cambodia to 1715.

 

The strategy of limited fast testing for COVID-19, which is the first step in transitioning away from the pandemic to the 'endemic stage' of the COVID-19 issue, is linked to the dramatic downward trend in reported cases.

 

This approach has drastically reduced the number of cases recorded, and when combined with the current policy of not providing any provincial or ‘Delta' numbers, it is now difficult to determine the exact extent of COVID in Cambodia.

 

Credit Source: Khmer Times

 

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