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A young lad reacts arsenic helium receives a changeable of the Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine astatine a Samrong Krom wellness halfway extracurricular Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the commencement of a nationwide run to springiness COVID-19 vaccinations to children betwixt the ages of 6 and 11 truthful they tin instrumentality to schoolhouse safely aft a agelong lack owed to measures taken against the dispersed of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

PHNOM PENH – Cambodia began vaccinating 6-to-11-year-olds Friday truthful students tin safely instrumentality to schools that person been closed for months owed to the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Hun Sen inaugurated the run to vaccinate the children, speaking unrecorded connected authorities tv and his Facebook leafage arsenic his grandchildren and young household members of different elder officials were shown being fixed their jabs.

“To support children’s wellness and their lives is our work due to the fact that we privation to marque definite that erstwhile they spell backmost to their schools, these children and their teachers are harmless from COVID-19,” Hun Sen declared.

Cambodia already has been vaccinating older children, and Hun Sen said helium ordered wellness officials to survey if children ages 3 to 5 tin besides beryllium vaccinated. No day has been announced for schools to reopen.

Nearly 72% of Cambodia’s astir 17 cardinal radical person received astatine slightest 1 COVID-19 changeable since vaccinations began successful February. China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines relationship for astir inoculations.

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Hun Sen, 69, who has been afloat vaccinated and received a booster changeable connected Tuesday, said Cambodia’s precedence successful recovering from the pandemic is reopening the acquisition sector, followed by allowing work industries, including home tourism, to resume activities.

He said Cambodia is considering reopening to afloat vaccinated overseas tourists successful the adjacent future. The tourism assemblage is vitally important for the country’s economy, helium said, and Chinese visitors are expected to beryllium the biggest radical of arrivals erstwhile Cambodia reopens.

Hun Sen said portion Cambodia’s complaint of coronavirus infections continues to beryllium high, it appears to beryllium slowing owed to vaccination levels, which are higher than astir different countries successful Southeast Asia.

Cambodia’s Health Ministry connected Friday reported 698 caller cases and 11 deaths, adding to the nation's totals of 102,834 cases and 2,089 deaths from COVID-19.

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