Phnom Penh (UCAN): Cambodia has delivered at least 200,000 Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine doses to Laos, as the country struggles with a second wave of infections. There have been 23,488 confirmed cases and 17 deaths so far —nearly all been recorded since April.
According to the online portal, Fresh News, Cambodian prime minister, Hun Sen, wrote to Lao premier, Phankham Viphavanh, saying, “In the spirit of our traditional solidarity and friendship … Cambodia would like to present to the government of Laos [with] an additional package of 200,000 doses of vaccines to contribute to your country’s endeavor to fight against this deadly disease.”
A record high 622 cases were recorded on September 27 after the government imposed strict lockdowns, particularly in the capital, Vientiane, with residents forced to remain indoors unless buying medicine, food or travelling to a hospital.
Some 95 villages across eight districts in the capital have been designated as red zones and there have been reports of food shortages.
A villager from the Tha Khek district in Kham Mouane province told Radio Free Asia that dry goods such as noodles, canned sardines and rice are nearly gone, while fresh meat and vegetables are no longer available because markets are closed.
“My village right now is still under lockdown and people are not allowed to go out,” she said. “The markets are closed, so there is no buying or selling of anything.”
…dry goods such as noodles, canned sardines and rice are nearly gone, while fresh meat and vegetables are no longer available because markets are closed
Hun Sen also said the pandemic had seriously affected all aspects of human life, bringing many challenges not only to public safety and health but also to supply chains and the movement of people.
“In this context, a collective response within the bilateral and multilateral frameworks is indispensable to cope with the pandemic and ensure a rapid and effective post-pandemic recovery,” he said.
Laos hopes to fully vaccinate 50 per cent of its adult population by the end of 2021. Like its neighbours, Thailand and Vietnam, Laos had largely escaped much of the pandemic throughout 2020 and was slow in its vaccination rollout.
Cambodia, however, was quick off the mark and has fully vaccinated 66 per cent of its population. A further three million vaccines were expected to arrive from China with health authorities extending their inoculation programme to children aged 6- to 11-years-old.
China provided Cambodia with nine million doses of its Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines, while AstraZeneca doses have also been procured through the Covax facility with help from the World Health Organisation.
Ouch Borith, the Cambodian Foreign Ministry’s secretary of state, said at the handover ceremony for the donations at the Cambodia-Lao checkpoint, Trapang Kreal-Nong Nok Kien, that it reflected the strong solidarity and traditional cooperation between the two leaders.
“I firmly believe that the existing close ties and fruitful cooperation will be further strengthened for the mutual benefits of both peoples, as well as for peace, stability and common prosperity,” he said.
