PHNOM PENH, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) — The confirmed cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Cambodia have risen to 94 after nine new infections were detected, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said here on Wednesday.

“Nine new Omicron cases were confirmed by the Pasteur Institute in Cambodia (on Tuesday evening), and all of them were found on passengers entering Cambodia by air,” he said during a cash award ceremony for female athlete Ouk Sreymom, who had recently won a gold medal at the World Petanque Championships 2021 in Spain.

To date, a total of 94 Omicron cases had been reported in Cambodia and all were imported cases, Hun Sen said, adding that to prevent the Omicron variant from spreading into the community, home treatment is prohibited.

Read more: Cambodia confirms 15 new Omicron cases, 31 in total

“All Omicron patients are required to undergo treatment at COVID-19-designated hospitals, as home treatment is not permitted,” he said.

The Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa on Nov. 24, 2021 and it was classified a variant of concern by the WHO.

The southeast Asian country registered the first case of the Omicron variant on Dec. 14 on a pregnant Cambodian woman returning from Ghana.  Enditem