The Ministry of Health on April 9 reported 576 Covid-19 cases linked to the February 20 community outbreak, by far the largest number it has ever recorded in a single day since the pandemic began.

The 576 cases include four Chinese, one Thai and three Vietnamese nationals, with the rest being Cambodian. The Cambodian patients include three children aged 6 to 13.

Phnom Penh recorded the most cases at 544, followed by Svay Rieng province at 16, Preah Sihanouk at 12, Siem Reap at two, and one each in Kandal and Kampong Cham.

The ministry also reported 70 recoveries linked to the February 20 community outbreak.

Alarmed by a huge surge in community transmission cases, ministry spokeswoman Or Vandine urged strict adherence to preventive measures. She said the surge would have long-term impact on public health and potentially lead to a much larger-scale outbreak.

"I've lost sleep, wondering why some people can't seem to take basic precautions to break the chain of transmission," she said, reiterating call for the public to refrain from non-essential travel, especially during the Khmer New Year holiday, and get vaccinated against the disease.

"New Year at Home' is what I coin and want you to practise along with the 'three protections and three don'ts" guideline. Get yourself vaccinated so that you have a stronger immune system to minimise transmission risks," she said.

As of April 9, Cambodia had recorded a total of 3,604 Covid-19 cases with 1,591 receiving ongoing treatment and 24 confirmed deaths from the disease.