2 mln doses of China-aided COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH -- A plane carrying another batch of 2 million doses of the China-donated Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the capital of Cambodia on Wednesday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen welcomed the Chinese vaccines at the Phnom Penh International Airport.

The event was livestreamed on the prime minister's official Facebook page by the state National Television of Cambodia (TVK), Fresh News, the kingdom's largest online news provider, and several other TV channels.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the airport, Hun Sen said with China's timely and regular vaccine supply, Cambodia has reached herd immunity earlier than planned and has recently reopened the country in all areas in the new normal.

He added that to date, the country has administered at least one dose of vaccines to 14.08 million people, or 88 percent of its 16-million population. Of them, 13.2 million, or 82.6 percent, have been fully vaccinated with both required shots, and 2.07 million, or 13 percent, have received a third dose or booster dose.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian said it was the seventh batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China to Cambodia.

"Now, we're pleased to see that Cambodia has achieved one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and the number of confirmed cases has dropped to double digits, and most of them are mildly ill," he said.

The ambassador said he was elated to see Phnom Penh has regained its former vigorous scene as businesses have been reopened, and he hoped that the kingdom's socio-economic development would be recovered soon.