PHNOM PENH – Spiralling Covid-19 cases have put Cambodia “on the brink of death”, warned strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen, as the country imposed lockdowns on the capital here and a nearby city.
The Southeast Asian kingdom has seen coronavirus cases surge since February, when an outbreak was first detected among its Chinese expatriate community.
Authorities last week said hospitals here are running out of beds, and that they have transformed schools and wedding halls into treatment centres. Hun Sen has threatened quarantine-breakers with jail time.
Phnom Penh and the adjacent city of Ta Khmau were last night placed under lockdown for two weeks to curb the spread, effectively halting the movement of more than two million people.
“Please, my people – join your efforts to end this dangerous event,” pleaded the leader in a recorded address aired on state-run television late last night.
“We are on the brink of death already.
“If we don’t join hands together, we will head to real death.”
Cambodia’s latest announced caseload is in excess of 4,800, and Hun Sen yesterday said an additional 300 cases have been detected.
Phnom Penh and Ta Khmau residents are barred from leaving their homes for two weeks except to go to the hospital or buy medicine, while only two household members will be allowed out to buy food.
This morning, police blocked motorists from passing a checkpoint set up at the border between the two cities, with residents showing their identification cards, hoping to pass through.
Blockades have also been erected near the major Norodom Boulevard around the iconic Independence Monument to prevent people from travelling.
While the kingdom has seen improvements in its healthcare in the past decade, its infrastructure – especially in rural areas – is still poor, with a lack of services and qualified doctors.
Inequality also plagues the system, with reports of low-income families being turned away from hospitals.
Before the community outbreak was detected in February, Cambodia’s Covid-19 toll was comparatively lower than its regional neighbours – but experts chalked it up to a lack of widespread testing. – AFP, April 15, 2021
