Businesses told to follow Covid guidelines, or else
PRIME Minister Hun Sen has instructed Phnom Penh municipal and provincial governors to inspect, instruct and monitor all vendors in markets and commercial buildings to see that guidelines put forward by the Ministry of Health are implemented. Otherwise, he warned, it would be necessary for the authorities to close businesses temporarily.
Hun Sen made the remarks in a recorded message on December 6, noting that Covid-19 transmission had recently occurred in a crowded shop where health ministry protocols for physical distancing and hygienic measures had not been followed.
“I urge them to strictly and seriously carry out preventative measures, especially wearing masks prope r l y. It i s i mperati v e f o r a l l shopkeepers and road travellers to consistently wear masks when entering shops and, when eating, to observe social distancing,” he said.
The prime minister suggested that, in the event that Covid-19 transmission worsens, he had already prepared a letter to be sent to the King requesting a royal decree to declare a national state of emergency. He had also drafted decrees and letters to be sent to the National Assembly and Senate presidents.
He said, however, that the Covid-19 situation had not yet warranted a state of emergency.
“I don’t want to take such a step because it would completely cripple the economy. If the country is locked down – or even any part of the country, such as Phnom Penh or a province
– it will paralyse the economy, especially affecting the businesses of our people. The alternative is that we work together at all levels, including the cooperation of the public,” he said.
Asking for people’s understanding, Hun Sen said: “This is not a personal problem of anyone, but it is for us all.”
The best option available, he pointed out, is for all vendors and customers to practice social distancing, wear masks and use disinfectant products. Failure to comply with these directions has
partly contributed to the recent community transmission of the disease.
In a bid to prevent the spread of community transmissions, the health ministry announced that it had determined the identities of two people believed to be the original source of the November 28 community transmission and are suspected of having imported the virus in October. The two were identified as Chhem Sonita, 30, the youngest daughter of Chhem Savuth, the director-general of prisons, and Taing Sevenup, 42, whose brother-in-law works with Savuth who tested positive for Covid-19.
Health ministry spokeswoman Or Vandine declared on December 6 that anyone who knows of having been in direct contact with these two people between October 14 and November 17 need to be tested for Covid-19 even if they have not shown any symptoms.
Meanwhile, health minister Mam Bun Heng issued a press release on December 4 stipulating health measures for all travellers who enter Cambodia from December 12.
The statement said that all inbound passengers must self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival and are required to obtain a certificate indicating that they have tested negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of departure from their country of origin.
“We are temporarily halting sponsorship mechanisms for foreign travellers who are investors, businesspeople, company staff, experts and technicians for at least 14 days until the current pandemic situation subsides,” Bun Heng said.
He said the ministry will reveal the identities of Covid-19 patients on its official Facebook page immediately after they test positive in order to promptly inform people who might have had direct contact with them.
According to the ministry, from November 29 to December 5, the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge had tested 10,772 people who had potentially been exposed in the November 28 event, a reference to the first confirmed local transmission of Covid19. Of the total, 30 people had been found positive.
The ministry also said all people who were exposed during the November 28 event need to return for a second Covid-19 test on December 8. Testing facilities will be prepared at the Ministry of Interior, the National Olympic Stadium and hospitals throughout the capital and provinces.
As of December 6, Cambodian health officials had recorded a total of 346 Covid-19 cases. Of that number, 306 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.