Minister of Interior Sar Kheng reminded officials at all levels on Monday not to underestimate the Covid-19 threat even if confirmed cases have dropped and more than 60 per cent of patients have recovered.

Speaking at a handover ceremony of vehicles and protective materials to provincial police stations at the ministry, Sar Kheng said until now, the virus has not yet subsided around the world with an increase of up to 80,000 cases and the death rate rising.

He said Cambodia recorded 122 cases total. Of those, 77 people recovered and 45 are being treated in hospitals. But no one has died. He chalked that up to the attention paid by healthcare workers, the relevant officials and people alike.

The ministry has, for its part, delivered 95 vehicles in total. Of the 50 delivered on Monday, 17 were handed over to district police chiefs bordering Thailand, 28 to those bordering Vietnam and five to those near the Laos border.

“We have overcome the disease. Of all the patients, 63 per cent have recovered and 31 per cent are still in hospitals. But this does not mean we are neglecting or underestimating it. We have to pay attention to it and take all possible measures to prevent and combat this disease,” he said.

He also expressed his admiration for officials at all levels for taking strict measures to halt the spread of the virus.

Battambang provincial police chief Uch Sokhon told The Post on Monday that Cambodia has implemented measures to halt the spread of the virus and the majority of civil servants and citizens had implemented them.

He said although some migrant workers did not cooperate with the police at first they have come to understand and implement the measures almost 100 per cent.

“Our citizens have implemented the instructions of the Ministry of Health and the authorities will continue to strongly implement measures to halt this spread,” he said.

Dr Hen Pheareak, who has more than 20 years experience in respiratory tract infections, said on a Facebook post on Monday that Cambodians had neglected their vigilance of Covid-19 to celebrate Khmer New Year. He warned that a widespread outbreak of Covid-19 could have occurred.

“Cambodians neglect [the rules] during the Khmer New Year and the virus could infect people. Be careful that the virus doesn’t infect the community,” he said.

Pheareak previously told The Post that Cambodia could halt the spread of the disease with the border restrictions for Khmer New Year and that this could protect the Kingdom, ending the risk of infections.