Phnom Penh: Prime Minister Hun Sen says the full reopening of the economy and society can only be achieved with the participation of everyone in the prevention of and fight against Covid-19 over the Pchum Ben holiday.

In a special message released on Wednesday morning, the Prime Minister says he considers the movement of people during Pchum Ben as “a test between disaster and victory”. He added that the government was ready for both scenarios.

He says, “Because this is a point to test to see if after Pchum Ben, we have an infectious disease? If there is a new epidemic, plans to reopen the country in all areas will not be possible! But if you can protect yourself and the number of infections and deaths does not increase, then people will get a gift of reopening the socio-economy, especially schools and international tourism."

The Prime Minister Hun stated that this test is not to risk the lives of the people, but to trust their participation in the fight against Covid-19 and vaccinations. 

"We truly believe in the understanding and participation of our people. Let the authorities everywhere and all the pagodas, please, be careful. People protect yourself, protect your family from Covid after Pchum Ben, not return to suffering after we are happy."

According to the Ministry of Tourism, during the Pchum Ben holiday on October 5, almost 150,000 people went on vacation.

The Prime Minister wrote on his Facebook page this morning, warning people who went on holiday to be very careful to wear a mask, to wash their hands with soap or alcohol often and maintain a safe distance, avoiding crowded places where there is a high risk.