Battambang:  A total of 20,073 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to be given as booster shots to frontline workers have been delivered by a helicopter to Battambang province on Saturday morning. The vaccines were immediately sent to the bordering province between Thailand and Cambodia to provide more protection to the workers who are exposed to the Delta variant of Covid-19.

Battambang Provincial Health Director, Dr. Voeung Bun Reth says, "The third dose will be given to front-line civil servants as a stimulant dose to increase the effectiveness of prevention of Covid-19 infection." He has added that the frontline workers have a duty to protect the Cambodian border. He has confirmed that there is already a working group preparing the the third dose of vaccines for frontline officials which will kick-off on Sunday, in accordance with the policy of the Royal Government and the Ministry of Health to prevent the further transmission of Covid-19, especially the Delta variant.

Six more provinces in Cambodia will also start administering booster shots to frontline workers on Sunday. The provinces prioritized which borders Thailand and Cambodia are Pailin, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Pusat, and Preah Vihear. The government has also added Koh Kong as the area continues to record cases of Covid-19.