PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Health, Mam Bun Heng, has requested all Capital-Provincial Governors to organize a campaign to raise awareness on Covid-19, to act as a regular reminder to join the continued fight against the spread of the coronavirus.

In a letter dated Monday, 14 March 2022, the Minister of Health, Mam Bun Heng stated his observation that after Cambodia reopened the country, some have begun to neglect implementing proper and thorough health measures, which is a good opportunity for Covid-19 to actively circulate in the community and cause another surge again. He added that to date, the new Covid-19 variant has continued to spread in the community, with some cases of serious illness, hospitalization and death reported among the most vulnerable and unvaccinated.

He said, "The presence of the new Covid-19 variant in the world indicates that the pandemic is still unfinished and remains a public health risk for all countries, although some countries have relaxed their health measures.”

The Minister added that in such a situation, it is necessary to increase public awareness of the need to protect oneself from the disease.

He urged officials at the Capital-Provincial level to organize regular educational activities and prepare educational materials, such as banners and posters, to be disseminated in key locations across the country. He also encouraged the dissemination of campaign messages on social media and provincial media, as well as projected over loudspeakers in key locations.

The main goal, he stressed, is to educate and disseminate crucial information on Covid-19 using the messaging created by the APEC Working Group, encouraging people to continue implementing the "3 Do’s and 3 Don’t’s" health measures - especially in high-risk places such as markets, restaurants, factories, schools, and other crowded areas - and further encouraging everyone to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as soon as possible.