Cambodia has become COVID-19 free after the last patient recovered, says a health ministry’s statement on Tuesday.

The statement said the country reported no new cases of COVID-19 for 31 days straight.

It added that since the pandemic began in January 2020, the southeast Asian nation logged 136,262 confirmed cases with 133,206 recoveries and 3,056 deaths.

Health ministry’s secretary of state and spokeswoman, Or Vandine, attributed the country’s success in controlling the pandemic to the government’s exemplary leadership and the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

She said Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen made the right and timely decision to provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all eligible Cambodians and foreigners living in the country.

“Vaccines are the most powerful tool to protect lives against COVID-19, reducing infections and deaths,” Ms Vandine said.

Cambodia had vaccinated at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines to over 15 million people, or 94 per cent of its 16 million population, the health ministry said.

It added that 14.3 million or 89.4 per cent of them were fully vaccinated with two required shots.

Also, some 9.25 million or 58 per cent, had received a third dose and 2.58 million or 16 per cent, had a fourth dose.

Cambodia will begin offering a fifth dose of COVID-19 vaccines to priority groups from June 9.

Buoyed by its high vaccination rates, Cambodia resumed all socioeconomic activities and reopened its borders to fully-vaccinated travellers without quarantine since November last year.

Most of the COVID-19 vaccines used in the country are China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm.

Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said vaccines had protected lives, stabilised the health system and helped restore the economy.

“The royal government of Cambodia has made the correct decision to choose China as a strategic supplier of COVID-19 vaccines, and that’s why Cambodia has enough vaccines for its people,” he said.

(Xinhua/(NAN)