Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) has decided that all Grade 12 students to take the exams to be held on Jan. 11 are deemed as having passed their exams automatically, due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

According to a statement Xinhua received on Thursday, all Grade 9 students who already took their annual exams on Nov. 30 are also deemed as passing their exams automatically.

"In compliance with the high recommendation of Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen for the high school exam and the secondary school exam during the 2019-2020 academic years, the MoEYS decides to allow all registered candidates to pass their exams automatically without grading," said the statement signed by Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron.

According to the ministry, there are about 121,108 students to take the high school exams this year, and 158,717 students to take the secondary school exams.

The decision was made after Cambodia has been sparing no effort to contain the first-ever COVID-19 transmission in the community, which was detected on Nov. 28 in six members of a family living in the capital Phnom Penh and the northwestern Siem Reap province.

The Ministry of Health said in a statement on Wednesday that at least 41 people residing in Phnom Penh and southern Kandal province have so far tested positive for the coronavirus.

Since January, the Southeast Asian nation has recorded a total of 362 confirmed COVID-19 cases with no deaths and 319 recoveries, the ministry said.