Thai Border Provinces Closed To Slow ‘Delta’ Spread
Phnom Penh: The Royal Government of Cambodia has decided to lockdown provinces bordering Thailand and temporarily suspend crossings at the Cambodian-Thai border, except for the transportation of goods and special cases.
Color coding systems- seen before in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville- will be used; red, yellow or orange zones depending on transmission risk and case numbers, and will be determined by each provincial administration.
All border points in Koh Kong, Pursat, Battambang, Pailin, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear and Siem Reap were ordered to close on the night of July 28, 2021.
The Royal Government has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to immediately contact the Thai side to temporarily close the border for passengers, except for the transportation of goods and special cases authorized by the authorities, such as medical emergencies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training are asked to cooperate in relaying the information and provide necessary support for Cambodian workers living in Thailand, as well as coordination to delay Cambodian workers who wish to return until the closure is completed.
The Royal Government also instructed the provincial governors of provinces bordering Thailand to increase cooperation and coordination with their Thai counterparts to ensure the effective implementation of the above measures.
The closures will last for 14 days starting from 23:45 Minutes from July 29, 2021 to August 12, 2021.
The decision was made to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant in the community after the discovery of new cases.
Crossings to Vietnam were closed on July 18 for one month.
A 9:00 PM until 3:00 AM curfew has also been announced for all cities and a nationwide ban on dine-in customers for restaurants was also ordered – details to follow.
