New arrival of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine boosts Cambodia's vaccination drive

Workers transport packages of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 6, 2021. Cambodia's COVID-19 vaccination drive has got another boost after the Southeast Asian nation received a new batch of COVID-19 vaccine from China on Tuesday, Cambodian health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's COVID-19 vaccination drive has got another boost after the Southeast Asian nation received a new batch of COVID-19 vaccine from China on Tuesday, a health official said.

The vaccine, purchased from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm, arrived in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, by a flight, health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said.

"It's another testament to our ironclad friendship," she said at the Phnom Penh International Airport.

The kingdom launched an inoculation drive on Feb 10, with China being the key vaccine supplier.

As of July 5, some 7.93 million vaccines had been administered, with 4.6 million people receiving their first dose and 3.33 million having completed the two-dose inoculation, the health ministry said.

The country has planned to vaccinate at least 10 million of its 16 million population by November.

Cambodia's COVID-19 infections continued to rise on Tuesday as the kingdom confirmed 935 new cases, pushing the national caseload to 56,122, the health ministry said.

A total of 31 new fatalities were also recorded, taking the overall death toll to 779 so far, the ministry said, adding that 654 patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 48,040.