PHNOM PENH, 10 November 2020: Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen says the “Kingdom is at high risk of a Covid-19 outbreak and described the situation as alarming,” according to a report by Phnom Penh Post.
The prime minister stopped short of declaring a state of emergency but called on everyone to strictly adhere to health safety measures.
The PM issued the warning at the weekend after a Cambodian bodyguard who deployed to a security detail covering the visit of Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto tested positive for Covid-19. Around 892 people came in contact with the Hungarian minister during his short visit.
In the statement quoted by the Phnom Penh Post, the PM said: “I won’t declare a state of emergency, either partly or for the whole country. And I won’t prevent travel by those who are not involved. But I request every one to take the utmost care by wearing a mask and maintaining social distance as instructed by the Ministry of Health.”
In another press release on Sunday, the ministry ordered temporary closures of KTV, nightclubs, cinemas, and museums across the country. Both state and private schools in Phnom Penh and Kandal province will be closed for two weeks to prevent the spread of Covid-19. All sports activities at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh have been cancelled.
As of Monday, Cambodia has reported 297 cases and no deaths. Seven people are currently being treated at the Khmer-Soviet Friendship hospital, including four Cambodians, a French woman, one Pakistani and one Indian.
Meanwhile, Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism should release a statement soon confirming that the country will not host the ASEAN Tourism Forum in January 2021. Privately officials say the event, considered the region’s top tourism show, is likely to be postponed until January 2022 or possibly moved to a date later in 2021. The ATF attracts around 1,500 tourism executives and ministry of tourism official working the 10 member countries that make up ASEAN.
