Cambodia recorded its sharpest daily decline of COVID-19 cases when they fell from 978 on Sep 30 to 232 on Oct 1.
This dramatic drop of 76 per cent in a day was due to a change in the approach taken towards testing. By eliminating random testing of asymptomatic individuals, the reported numbers reflect only cases that have been presented for testing following the onset of symptoms.
This change has had real impacts because it has affected policy relating to lockdowns and border measures. After the Pchum Ben festival ended on Oct 7, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that should case numbers remain low for 10 to 15 days, the country should reopen.
