Prime Minister Hun Sen said the government would buy 10 million simple face masks, 500,000 medical face masks and 5,000 sets of clothing for health workers, and at least one million litres of handwashing alcohol as a reserve for the government. CDC
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday ordered more measures to be implemented to ensure citizens and medical staff have enough food and daily necessities amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the government would buy 10 million simple face masks, 500,000 medical face masks and 5,000 sets of clothing for health workers, and at least one million litres of handwashing alcohol as a reserve for the government.
Hun Sen said he wanted 10 million masks, either produced domestically or bought overseas, to be stockpiled.
“If a factory in Preah Sihanouk [province] could produce many more masks, we will buy them all,” he said.
Hun Sen also instructed the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) secretary-general Sok Chenda Sophea and Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng to work with factories to buy the masks, medical clothing and alcohol to be stockpiled.
More than $11 million in donations, including salaries donated by officials to the National Committee for Combating Covid-19, will help the government buy the protective gear, he said.
The government has already ordered 5.2 million simple masks, 200,000 medical masks and 5,000 sets of medical clothing for health workers, he said.
The prime minister also called for more financial assistance for frontline health workers.
“[I] suggest Bun Heng and Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth find ways to increase the budget for front-line health workers because, over the past few months, they haven’t been able to stay close to their families.
“They have made a great sacrifice, so they should not be left worrying about their families. I suggest a budget increase for them,” he said.
Besides protective gear, Hun Sen ordered the purchase of petrol, which is to be stockpiled for use when troops are sent to retrieve migrants who may still return from Thailand.
The government’s stockpile of food such as rice, noodles and clear water are to be reviewed as well to ensure there would be a safety net in case of a shortage.
The Ministry of Health announced on Sunday that it had not detected new cases of Covid-19 two days in a row, while 50 of the 114 Covid-19 positive patients had clinically recovered.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Or Vandine told The Post that despite the fact that new cases were not found, Cambodia will remain vigilant to contain human-to-human transmission.
“Please continue following instructions constantly. We didn’t find new cases for two days in a row, but we can’t think that there are no infections and relent in our fight against the disease.
“Instead, it is an opportunity for the Covid-19 virus to attack us eventually. We are yet to conclude that the Covid-19 pandemic has ended in Cambodia.”
The ministry on Sunday renewed its call on barbershops, and other relevant service industry owners to exercise increased caution, including wearing protective equipment, cleaning properly, and maintaining a safe distance from each other.
The ministry also instructed drivers who transport more than 10 people at once to implement measures, including ensuring proper ventilation, requiring passengers to wear masks and having sanitiser on hand.
