A woman gets vaccinated against Covid-19 at the Pochentong Referral Hospital in Phnom Penh’s Por Sen Chey district on Tuesday. Heng Chivoan
Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng said daily Covid-19 transmissions and fatalities have dropped dramatically in the last three weeks, with the capital recording only between two and six deaths per day compared to 30 at their peak previously.
He said relevant authorities are continuing with their efforts to stem its spread, especially the Delta variant, in order to reopen the capital fully.
Sreng made the remarks during a virtual meeting on measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, home quarantines and the reopening of schools and education institutions on September 1.
“In the past, the number of new cases increased day to day, but in the last three weeks, it has dropped off a lot. The daily deaths decreased from 30 a day to just six or two a day now. This should make us all proud and we have to continue this good work,” he said.
The drop in transmissions and number of deaths is a good sign for the reopening of Phnom Penh, in the tourism sector as well as schools and all businesses. For now, the authorities in Phnom Penh are looking into further means to cut off the transmission of the disease, especially the delta variant, Sreng said.
As evidence for the drop in the transmission rate, deputy municipal governor Mean Chanyada said in the meeting that recently 1,898 people were tested and only 28 were found to be positive for the virus, equivalent to 3.56 per cent. Of the 28 cases, 11 were positive with the delta variant, or 1.48 per cent.
Chanyada said the low number of transmissions and deaths was thanks to vaccines.
Phnom Penh health department director Ngy Meanheng said that the total number of transmissions in Phnom Penh in August dropped by half compared to the months of May, June and July respectively.
He said in addition to vaccinations, the drop was due also to the following of health measures among the general public.
“Vaccination and the practice of health measures must go hand in hand in order for us to beat Covid-19,” he said.
According to the figures released daily by the Ministry of Health, the number of new cases in August dropped from 671 on August 1 to 439 on August 31, with the death rate dropping from 23 to 11 for the same dates.
August 26 was the lowest number of deaths in recent month with just six, according to the ministry’s report.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said on August 31 that Phnom Penh and Kandal province are approaching herd immunity due to the vaccinations and that it was a sign that it may be time to reopen society and the economy.
According to the health ministry, Cambodia had vaccinated 93.2 per cent of the target adult population of 10 million and nearly 80 per cent of the 12-17 age group of nearly two million as of September 1.
