Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said that the Government is considering removing the mandatory requirement of wearing masks for COVID-19 prevention, at least in some provinces of the country.
A fruit stall at a market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 17, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodian Prime Minister SamdechTecho Hun Sen said that the Government is considering removing the mandatoryrequirement of wearing masks for COVID-19 prevention, at least in some provincesof the country.
Speaking at an inauguration ceremony of 38 roads in thetourist province of Siem Reap on April 3, Hun Sen said he was consideringlifting the regulation in the first two pilot provinces of Preah Vihear andOddar Meanchey. If the pilot is successful, Cambodia could expand thederegulation across the nation.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Cambodia hasapplied a mandatory mask wearing policy on the streets and public places, withfailure to comply resulting in heavy fines.
On April 2, Secretary of State and Ministry of Healthspokesman Or Vandine said that the COVAX vaccine distribution mechanism hadjust decided to increase the amount of vaccine for Cambodia from 20 percent to30 percent of the country's total population. So far, 14.8 million people ofCambodia's 16-million population have been vaccinated with at least one dose ofthe COVID-19 vaccine. The nation has resumed socio-economic activities, with fullyvaccinated tourists allowed to enter without quarantine from November last year./.
Cambodia is making all preparations to cooperate with China to set up a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing plant, either by end of this year or 2023, said Secretary of State of the Cambodian Ministry of Health Youk Sambath.
Cambodia earned more than 77 million USD from the export of rubber and rubberwood in the first two months of this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on March 28 once again affirmed that Cambodians can celebrate the Khmer traditional New Year festival in mid-April after two years of suspension due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Cambodia received a total of 151,680 foreign visitors in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 114 percent from 70,901 arrivals recorded in the same period last year, according to Kong Sopheareak, director of the Tourism Statistics Department at the Ministry of Tourism.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
A fruit stall at a market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 17, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
