• Society

Schools on Track to Reopen Despite Community Transmission of Omicron Variant

• By Sam Sopich
• January 10, 2022 2:48 PM

The discovery of locally transmitted cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will not derail the government’s plans to have schools reopen, Prime Minister Hun Sen has said

PHNOM PENP--Prime Minister Hun Sen called on Cambodians to be extra vigilant following the discovery of three new locally transmitted cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Jan. 9 which came just a day after the first local case of Omicron was found in Cambodia.

“I strong emphasize that these health measures are still effective to fight against the new Omicron variant,” he said, adding that the government, in particular the Ministry of Education, is drawing on experiences from 2020 to implement measures for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Both students and staff at all educational facilities are required to strictly adhere to the 3 Do’s and 3 Don’ts, as well as maintaining good hygiene, Hun Sen said, but he also urged the Education Ministry to expand its e-learning capabilities, digital administration processes and promote the vaccination of children to ensure the safety of staff and students.

“We don’t know when COVID-19 will end due to many converted variants, so we need to keep investing in self-protection for individuals and families,” he said.

Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron said that the reopening of schools for the 2021-2022 academic year is vital for Cambodia, but especially for the youth.

“The government has invested heavily to develop society, the economy and focused human resource development as a top priority in strengthening the quality of scientific education and technology through taking advantages of local and international implementation to ensure sustainable economic development,” Naron added.

Both public and private schools were closed in March 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. They reopened in November 2020, only to close again in February 2021 following a massive community outbreak that led to the majority of deaths recorded in Cambodia since the pandemic began.

On Jan. 10, the Ministry of Health reported 15 new cases of the Omicron variant, of which 195 cases have been identified with 191 of those imported and four of them locally transmitted. So far, Cambodia has not recorded any deaths associated with the Omicron variant and nine people who tested positive for it have since recovered.