Minister of Interior Sar Kheng on May 17 announced his recovery from Covid-19, saying he is now set to return to work after observing the health ministry’s guidelines and self-isolating for five days.

“I’m ready to continue serving the nation and meeting compatriots at public events,” he said in a brief social media post.

Sar Kheng began self-isolation on May 12 after his Covid-19 test came back positive earlier that day. He immediately told his family members and anyone who had been in close contact with him to test themselves and monitor their health.

The health ministry has repeatedly reminded the public to observe its preventative guidelines although Cambodia has brought the coronavirus under control.

According to the ministry, as of May 17, Cambodia had recorded a total of 138,736 Covid-19 cases, with 135,680 recoveries and 3,056 deaths. As of the same date, the Covid-19 vaccination rate in the country was 95.54 per cent of an estimated population of 16 million.