Prime Minister Hun Sen (right) receives one million dose of vaccines from Italian ambassador Lorenzo Galanti at Peace Palace on April 25. SPM
Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for a further easing of health measures against Covid-19 – including the lifting of the mask mandate – after data from the Khmer New Year revealed the festivities as having had minimal impact on the spread of the coronavirus.
Hun Sen made his wishes clear ahead of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to Combat Covid-19 meeting led by Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth to discuss the easing of further health measures against the virus, the outcome of which has not been announced.
He suggested that the mask-wearing mandate be scrapped for the whole country, except in close-door settings. However, he recommended that the third or booster vaccination be made mandatory for everyone in Cambodia.
Speaking at the ceremonial handover of 1,056,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine donated by the Italian government on April 25, Hun Sen said his suggestion to lift the mask-wearing mandate came after receiving data showing there was minimal increase in the spread of Covid-19 over the recent April 14-16 Khmer New Year holiday, and upon observing other countries recently lifting such mandates.
“During the Khmer New Year, only a very small number of people wore masks among a sea of people,” he said, despite which an increase in Covid-19 cases failed to materialise.
He added that removing the mask-wearing mandate was not just for health reasons, but also in consideration of “socio-economic” factors.
Hun Sen said that psychologically, wearing masks has “not been easy” for Cambodians. Financially, it has also been a strain for some, he noted, as they have to spend money to purchase it over essentials such as clothing for their children. He estimated that around $100,000 has been spent each day on masks in Cambodia when they have been made mandatory.
“I urged health experts to look at not just one aspect of mask-wearing – as being strictly a health issue. We must look at the issue as it relates to socio-economic and psychological factors, because wearing masks is not easy,” he said.
The premier said he wanted to see mask-wearing made optional for the general public, with the exception of workplaces and close-door air-conditioned settings. As part of his next steps, however, he said he would also suggest making third-dose vaccination mandatory.
“What the government wants is [for everyone to get their] third dose of vaccination, or even fourth shot, ideally. The third dose will become mandatory, meaning everyone must get this booster jab before we reach a stage when mask-wearing is not mandatory [at all], while other measures like hand-washing and social distancing will be maintained,” he said.
Hun Sen used the occasion of the vaccine donation delivery to call on the public to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. He said more than six million people have yet to receive their booster shot despite there being more than 11 million vaccine doses available, with 20 million additional doses ordered or pledged by other governments.
He thanked Italy for the vaccine donation, adding that the outbreak of Covid-19 was a “test of solidarity” among countries in the region and globally. He said that despite the numerous pandemic-induced border closures, the solidarity “has grown even stronger”.
Italian ambassador to Cambodia Lorenzo Galanti said the vaccine donation demonstrates Italian support for Cambodia to ensure maximum protection for its population, including Italians and others who call Cambodia their second home.
He also expressed Italy’s appreciation for Cambodia’s role in the UN, as well as for its chairmanship of ASEAN this year. He reaffirmed Italy’s continued support on initiatives such as mine action in Cambodia.
The ambassador said Cambodia’s business landscape had attracted “much” Italian investment, adding that he expected the investment environment to improve and attract even more Italian investors.
As of April 24, according to the health ministry, 93.08 per cent of the country’s population of 16 million people had received their Covid-19 vaccination. Among them, 8.25 million had received their third doses, while 1.41 million had received their fourth.
