PHNOM PENH: A new delivery of Covid-19 Pfizer vaccines from the Kingdom of Spain arrived in Cambodia on Thursday morning, 18 August.

The official handover ceremony for the vaccines took place at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, under the presidency of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Spanish Chargé d'Affaires in Cambodia, Kristina Ellisa Aguliar Jimenez, said that this vaccine delivery was a promise made by the Spanish Minister of Health to Cambodia and shows the Spanish people's commitment to the Cambodian people as well.

She said that Spain is happy to help provide vaccines to Cambodia, a country that has been widely successful in vaccinating its people.

"The world is in a lot of trouble and we need to find a lasting solution," she said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said that vaccines offer protection of health, society and economy. While Cambodia is a country that has achieved a high vaccination rate to build strong herd immunity, he said that Covid-19 has not gone far from Cambodia and urges the continuation of Covid-19 vaccination.

He thanked the people and government of the Kingdom of Spain and other members of the European Union for their contribution to Cambodia’s fight against Covid-19, as well as for promoting Cambodia's socioeconomic recovery by providing vaccination and technical assistance.

"I thank and wish the people and governments of Spain and the European Union every success," he said.

At the same time, the Prime Minister also urged all members of the public to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Through the vaccines provided by friendly countries, Cambodia was able to free itself from the Covid-19 crisis, with the country reopening in early November 2021 to kickstart its socioeconomic recovery.

The national Covid-19 vaccination campaign has strengthened Cambodia's immunity to the virus, albeit with slight instances of recurrence in the community.

The Ministry of Health currently announces about 10 to 30 cases per day, while no new deaths have been recorded from Covid-19. According to the Ministry, as of 16 August 2022, Cambodia has detected more than 130,000 cases of Covid-19, while more than 15 million people have been vaccinated, equivalent to more than 94% of Cambodia’s 16 million population.

^{PHOTO: KOK KY}