Cambodia's Ministry of Health (MoH) on Tuesday confirmed 39 new cases of highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19, bringing the kingdom's total number of Delta variant cases to 114.

On July 22 and 25, laboratory testing by the Pasteur Institute in Cambodia found new COVID-19 variant B.1.617-2 (Delta) on 39 patients, including 21 returnees from neighbouring Thailand and 18 domestic cases, the MoH said in a statement, adding that the local cases were detected on health workers and residents in the provinces of Oddar Meanchey, Kampong Thom, and Siem Reap.

Health Minister Mam Bunheng called on people across the country to be more cautious as the Delta variant was more contagious than previously circulating strains.

"Please properly implement three do's and three don'ts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its variants," he said in the statement.

The three do's include wearing a face mask, washing hands regularly, and maintaining physical distancing of 1.5 meters, and the three don'ts are avoiding confined and enclosed spaces, avoiding crowded spaces, and avoiding touching each other.

The minister also urged people undergoing a mandatory self-quarantine to strictly comply with rules in order to cut off the chain of transmission.

The B.1.617, first detected in India and informally dubbed the "double mutant," was declared as a variant of concern in May by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Source:
courtesy of XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

by XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

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