Phnom Penh: The Prime Minister of Hun Sen has decided to remove the obligation to wear masks in Ratanakkiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear provinces, leaving it up to the people who live and visit to decide whether or not to wear masks themselves.

In a special message on April 10, 2022, Prime Minister stated that the decision to remove the masked duty from these four provinces to test the resilience of the community that Cambodia has successfully implemented in the past.

"We try this, not to test the lives of the people," he said. But we want to know about the resilience of our community, both in urban and rural areas. "And the provinces that we have implemented are non-contagious, and if there are, there have been very few cases in the past."

Prime Minister stated that the removal of the duty is that citizens can choose to wear or not wear a mask themselves, and tourists also have the right to wear or not wear a mask in these four provinces.

He also reminded that "the duty of wearing mask will be implemented immediately after the people leave these four provinces."

Prime Minister has ordered the Minister of Economy and the Minister of Health to chair a meeting on measures to be taken for the four provinces, while the four provincial administrations must prepare for Covid-19 rapid test in case of any suspicion and people who believe to get Covid-19 infected must be tested immediately.

The lifting of the requirement to wear masks in the four provinces will take effect from today.