Southeast Asian countries take actions as Omicron surges

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen has called for ‘immediate action’ against the increase of domestic cases of Omicron.

Illustrative image. (Source: khmertimeskh.com)
Illustrative image. (Source: khmertimeskh.com)

The PM said 34 more Omicron cases were confirmed on January 11, of which 24 were imported and 10 locally transmitted, bringing the total Omicron community cases in the country to 14.

Cambodia's news agency Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) quoted the PM as saying: “Our immediate task is to strengthen the preventive measures and continue implementing the ‘Three Dos, Three Don’ts’.”

He urged the administration of the booster doses as soon as possible regardless of the vaccine types.

At the inauguration ceremony of the Battambang-Serey Sophorn road portion in Battambang province earlier the same day, the leader ordered the purchase of 5 million more doses of vaccines even though there are 10 million doses in stock in order to make sure that the Cambodian people have enough vaccines against the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s National Health Security Office (NHSO) is urgently distributing 1 million free rapid antigen test kits (ATKs) to combat a surge in Omicron infections that make up more than 3percent of total COVID-19 cases in the country.

On January 11, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered health agencies to hand out the kits nationwide to stem the highly infectious variant’s spread.

The kits will be distributed mainly at squatter communities, markets and public transport terminals, the minister added.