Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine has expressed concern on a possible outbreak of Covid-19 following the Pchum Ben public holiday, which ended on October 7, after a number of tourist attractions were seen crammed full of festival revellers.

“Having seen the pictures of our people at some locations, I'm really concerned as they apparently let their guard down and gathered in large crowds without implementing preventive measures like the three dos and three don’ts,” she said on October 6.

She said such gatherings pose a serious risk of transmission of Covid-19, especially its highly contagious Delta variant which is now omnipresent.

“The cause of many Covid-19 outbreaks in other countries was overcrowding or gathering in three main settings -- enclosed location, crowded place and close contact, when there is no precaution by individuals.

"Some pictures of gatherings I have seen show that they didn’t seem to fear transmission at all,” she said.

Vandine reminded the public not to turn joy into sorrow after the holiday due to a loss of their loved one to the disease.

“I'd like to call on our people, individuals and families who are travelling, you must not forget the three dos and three don'ts. You have to avoid transmitting the virus from one person to another, which can ultimately take a heavy toll on public health and the national economy,” she said.