Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng issued a directive instructing all municipal and provincial governors to strictly enforce quarantine on the borders and implement other administrative measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, especially the new Delta variant.

The directive came after at least 10 cases of Delta variant, first discovered in India, have been detected this month in migrant workers returning from Thailand through border checkpoints.

Bun Heng, who is also head of the inter-ministerial commission for combatting Covid-19, said quarantine at designated centres along the borders have to be reinforced for all inbound passengers to Cambodia.

Transporting passengers and migrant workers to their hometowns for quarantine has now been postponed, he noted in the directive dated June 25.

The health minister told authorities to strengthen the control of border checkpoints in general and unofficial corridors in particular to prevent illegal entry of people who could import the Delta variant into the community.

“The provincial commission for combating Covid-19 must take action to control the influx of returning migrant workers. Strict quarantine measures must be enforced,” he said.