AKP Phnom Penh, February 15, 2021 --

The Ministry of Health this evening confirmed the first cases of UK variant of COVID-19 in Cambodia.

The new COVID-19 variant cases were found on three international travellers : two Indians arriving in Cambodia on Feb. 3 from India via Singapore, and a Chinese coming from China and arriving in the Kingdom on Feb. 7 via South Korea.

Their tests have been confirmed by the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia.

The new cases have been admitted to the National Centre for Combatting Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control in Phnom Penh.

The ministry thus called on people to continue implementing strictly the preventive measures against the pandemic.

According to U.S.-CDC, the United Kingdom (UK) identified a variant called B.1.1.7 with a large number of mutations in the fall of 2020. This variant spreads more easily and quickly than other variants. In January 2021, experts in the UK reported that this variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses, but more studies are needed to confirm this finding. It has since been detected in many countries around the world. This variant was first detected in the U.S. at the end of December 2020.

By Heng Panha