PHNOM PENH, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Health (MoH) on Monday reported 109 new cases of the Delta COVID-19 variant, raising the kingdom's total number of the Delta variant cases to 223.
On July 31 and Aug. 1, laboratory testing by the Pasteur Institute in Cambodia detected new COVID-19 variant B.1.617-2 (Delta) on 109 patients, the MoH said in a statement.
The confirmed cases were found in capital Phnom Penh and nine provinces, namely Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pailin, Siem Reap, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Tboung Khmum, and Prey Veng, it said, adding that most of the patients were laborers returning from neighboring Thailand.
"The results show that the Delta variant has been spreading in our community," MoH's secretary of state and spokeswoman Or Vandine said in the statement.
She called on the people to comply with health measures as the Delta variant was more transmissible than previously circulating strains.
"People who are required to undergo a quarantine must strictly abide by the rules in order to prevent large-scale community transmission," Vandine said. Enditem