Cambodian PM contracts Covid, leaves G20 early
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Tuesday he had the coronavirus and was leaving the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Bali, just days after hosting United States President Joe Biden and other world leaders for a regional gathering in his country.
The diagnosis came as the heads of the world’s 20 leading economies and other nations began a two-day meeting on the Indonesian resort island.
In a post on his Facebook page, Hun Sen said he tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday night and an Indonesian physician confirmed the diagnosis on Tuesday morning. He canceled his meetings at the G20, as well as the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Thailand’s capital Bangkok, to return home.
The White House said Biden tested negative on Tuesday morning and was not considered a close contact, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The two leaders spent considerable time together last Saturday, and were at a joint meeting but not seated together as recently as Sunday.
Hun Sen said it was fortunate he arrived in Bali on Monday night and was unable to join a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders.
The Cambodian capital Phnom Penh was the host of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit that ended on Sunday. Hun Sen met and shook hands with many leaders who attended one- on- one, some on multiple occasions.
In addition to Biden, guests included Prime Ministers Fumio Kishida of Japan and Justin Trudeau of Canada; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov; and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
Cambodia last month lifted most of its Covid-19 restrictions on travelers, and world leaders arriving for the Asean summit were recommended to continue following health and safety protocols but were not required to do so.
During the summit, almost none of the leaders or other participants wore masks and all were seated close to one another, often for lengthy periods.
Biden sat next to Hun Sen during a lengthy gala dinner last Saturday night. They spent time close together earlier that day in bilateral discussions, as well as talks during the wider Asean meeting. They were both participants in Sunday’s parallel East Asia Summit as well.
As leader of the host nation, Hun Sen had contact with almost all of the top-level participants.
On Sunday, Hun Sen met with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Australia’s premier Anthony Albanese and others at a separate meeting on the sidelines of the summit. A spokesman said Ardern tested negative for the virus on Tuesday.
Hun Sen also was in contact with Joko Widodo, president of G20 host Indonesia. The two men shook hands on Sunday as Hun Sen handed over the Asean gavel, turning over the rotating chairmanship to the Muslim-majority archipelago for 2023.
In his Facebook post, Hun Sen said he had “no idea” when he might have become infected, adding that he felt normal and continued to carry out his duties as usual, except for meeting with guests.
The G20 summit’s Indonesian organizers required delegates and journalists covering the event to provide proof of vaccination against Covid- 19 and undergo temperature checks on arrival. Participants were also expected to take daily coronavirus tests, though it was unclear if this requirement extended to heads of government.