PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Health has ordered the National Covid-19 Disease Control Commission and the capital-provincial authorities to be ready to respond to any Covid-19 outbreaks, as Cambodia lifts the outdoor mask mandate nationwide.

The National Covid-19 Commission and capital-provincial authorities are expected to strengthen the health system's response capacity by continuing to prepare emergency response teams and paramedics on standby, prepare Covid-19 medical equipment and treatment drugs, as well as Covid-19 rapid test kits to detect cases and respond in a timely manner so that another mass community outbreak can be prevented.

In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the National Covid-19 Provincial-Capital Commission on Tuesday, 26 April 2022, the Minister of Health, Mam Bun Heng, stated that in order to ensure the effective implementation of the Royal Government's decision to lift the outdoor mask mandate in Cambodia, the Ministry of Health requests the National Covid-19 Disease Control Commission and all Capital-Provincial authorities to responsibly instruct the public in its jurisdiction about the lifting of the mask mandate, and to also clearly explain to citizens about the locations that still require the use of masks, as well as other places where mask-wearing is encouraged.

The Health Minister also instructed all Capital-Provincial Committees to encourage people to receive the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

He wrote saying, "service providers in the public and private sectors, as well as the general public, must respect and implement the necessary health and administrative measures, and also urgently test for Covid-19 in the situation where symptoms such as fever, cough or other upper respiratory tract symptoms (nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy, hoarse or sore throat, etc.) appear, and to isolate and receive treatment at home in mild cases of Covid-19, in accordance with the applicable standard operating procedures, and to also cooperate and report all suspected cases that could lead to a re-emergence of Covid-19 in the community, to the health department or competent authorities."

In addition, the Minister of Health also ordered the respective health departments of each capital-provincial administration to make a daily report on the Covid-19 positive case count found from the beginning of mask mandate being lifted, and send it to the National Covid-19 Disease Control Commission, the capital-provincial administration and the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Ministry of Health, so that this relevant data is provided to the Sub-Committee on Planning and Strategy for Monitoring and Evaluating the status of the Covid-19 epidemic and community immunity.