NDO/VNA - Cambodian Health Ministry's spokeswoman Or Vandine on February 13 urged people to be more vigilant and to comply with health protocols amidst a rise of COVID-19 cases of the Omicron variant.

Complacency on Omicron will create a surge of virus transmission, she stressed

The ministry on the day registered 401 new COVID-19 cases, and all were confirmed to be with the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2.

No new fatalities have been reported for 40 straight days, the ministry said, adding that since the pandemic started in January 2020, Cambodia has logged a total of 123,443 COVID-19 cases with 118,804 recoveries and 3,015 deaths.

The spokeswoman called on the public, especially the youth, to remain vigilant and to get inoculated with receiving booster shots when their turns come.

Meanwhile, Singapore has received its first batch of Pfizer’s Paxlovid pill, after the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore (HSA) approved the oral tablet for the treatment of COVID-19 in adult patients who are at risk of severe disease.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that this is the first oral anti-viral medicine approved for treatment of COVID-19 infection in Singapore. It will be prescribed and prioritised for those at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness.

Paxlovid has been found to reduce the risk of COVID-19 related hospitalisation or death by 88.9 percent when treatment was given within three days of the onset of symptoms, according to an HSA review of clinical data based on an ongoing Pfizer study.

The pill should be taken twice a day for five days, HSA said, with treatment being initiated as soon as possible after a diagnosis has been made, within five days of the onset of COVID-19 symptoms.