• Society

Health Ministry Confirms Eight Locally Transmitted Delta Variant Cases

• By Phoung Vantha
• July 27, 2021 3:08 PM

While it remains unclear how the Delta variant is believed to be circulating in at least three provinces, Health Minister Mam Bunheng reminded people to follow the government’s guidelines

PHNOM PENH--Cambodia identified 39 new cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) between July 22 and July 25, bringing the total recorded number of Delta cases to 114, according to the Ministry of Health.

Health authorities said on July 27 that among the 39 new Delta cases, eight were locally transmitted, while 21 involved workers returning from Thailand along with four provincial health workers and six people who had direct contact with the returning workers.

The Pasteur Institute in Cambodia reported that 15 of the 39 cases of the Delta variant were found on July 22, including 14 workers returning from Thailand through the O’Beichoan, Malai, O'Smach, and Prom border checkpoints. One case was also found on July 22 involving a health worker living in Oddar Meanchey Province.

Meanwhile on July 25, another 24 cases of the Delta variant were identified, including seven more Cambodian workers returning to Cambodia through the O’Beichoan, O'Smach, and Prom checkpoints, along with another three health workers in Oddar Meanchey Province and six people who had direct contact with those workers returning from Thailand.

Since then, the Health Ministry has identified eight people who have contracted the Delta variant of COVID-19 despite having had no known contact with the returning workers or health workers. Of the eight, five of the locally transmitted Delta variant cases are in Oddar Meanchey Province, two are in Siem Reap Province, while one was found in Kampong Thom Province.

Health Minister Mam Bunheng reminded people to be more careful by learning to live in a new way with COVID-19 to continue to implement the three do's and three don'ts measures. He called on people who undergo quarantine not to visit 3C’s settings, referencing the close contact, closed space, and crowded settings.

“All citizens over the age of 18, should go to receive vaccinated against COVID-19,” he said.

This comes after the Health Ministry reported on July 27 that 685 new COVID-19 cases had been found nationwide, including 423 locally transmitted cases and 262 imported ones that predominantly involve workers returning from Thailand.

A further 19 people died of COVID-19 across Cambodia, bringing the death toll up to 1,324 the Health Ministry said.

So far Cambodia has recorded 74,386 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, but 66,725 people have recovered since contracting the virus.