PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Health has reiterated its call to increase vigilance against Covid-19 during the upcoming Water Festival, and to take proper precautions while organizing celebrations.

The instruction released by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday, 18 October, states that although Cambodia has suspended the main national celebration of the Water Festival in November, there will still be celebrations held in cities and provinces across the country to allow the public to enjoy this time, to enhance tourism, and to also provide income opportunities to citizens.

People in villages, communes, capitals, and provinces across Cambodia planning to organize celebrations for the Water Festival from 7-9 November 2022 must increase vigilance against Covid-19 and consistently implement health and safety measures, especially the ‘3 Do’s and 3 Don’t’s.’

The Ministry also urges a number of other important measures such as getting tested quickly in case of a suspected Covid-19 infection. Relevant local authorities and sub-national health officials must cooperate and assign management forces to monitor and guide the effective implementation of the ‘3 Do’s and 3 Don’t’s.’ Citizens showing symptoms of Covid-19m such as fever, cough, a headache and runny nose, should not attend Water Festival activities and should instead seek immediate consultation at a health center or public hospital to prevent transmission of the disease to others.

Additionally, to support progress on the ‘new normal path’ to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and maintain a ‘new normal’ life, the Ministry instructs all members of the public to continue implementing safety measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 between individuals, families and communities, so that a large-scale transmission of Covid-19 in the wider community does not happen again.

The public and all relevant ministries and sub-national authorities are advised to continue following the instructions set out by the Prime Minister and previous Ministry of Health guidelines. The Ministry also requests members of the public to keep clean, maintain good hygiene and to not spit just anywhere on the ground.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of 14 October 2022, there have been more than 620 million cases of Covid-19 in the world, with over 6.5 million deaths.