Prime Minister Hun Sen on April 12 thanked World Health Organisation's (WHO) Asia-Pacific director Takeshi Kasai for lauding Cambodia's achievement in its ongoing fight against Covid-19 and preventive measures it has introduced for the Khmer New Year holiday.

In his letter to Hun Sen on April 9, Kasai expressed concern about the ongoing community outbreak and support for the decision to impose an inter-provincial travel ban and lock down areas plagued by Covid-19 in the capital.

“The World Health Organisation commends your risk-based decision-making about restricting travel between provinces, as a key measure to reduce this risk and protect Cambodia.

“This measure, in conjunction with the other public health measures, will be critical to control the spread of the virus especially over the New Year holiday. I understand these are not easy decisions to make: naturally, people around the world, including in Cambodia, are weary of restrictions,” Kasai said.

In response, Hun Sen said the Kingdom remains in an unfortunate situation this year as the country has to grapple with a sudden, huge surge in community transmission cases and fatalities. This, he said, prompted the government to take precautions and a series of drastic measures.

“These measures are necessary to protect lives and the wellbeing of our people, public health, safety and an early return to normalcy.

“We are truly grateful for the valuable assistance provided by [WHO] to our country during this difficult time of crisis,” Hun Sen said.

Kasai said WHO stands ready to lend support to the Kingdom.

“Cambodia does not face these challenges alone: the World Health Organisation stands with you and will continue to provide policy, technical and operational support to the Ministry of Health and the Royal Government of Cambodia.

“I greatly appreciate your continued trust in WHO,” he said.