The lockdown of Phnom Penh and Kandal province’s Takmao town will end at the onset of May 6, according to a prime ministerial decision released an hour ago.

But the capital and provincial administrations reserve the right to implement other measures in their jurisdictions, as the situation dictates, to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Any measures taken must comply with relevant sub-decrees supporting the Law on Measures to Prevent the Spread of Covid-19 and Other Serious, Dangerous and Contagious Diseases.

The government first placed Phnom Penh and adjacent Takmao town in Kandal province on April 15, in a desperate move to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission from the February 20 community outbreak, which has brought the total number of coronavirus infections to more than 14,000.

Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Khuong Sreng on May 3 said the currently-designated yellow and orange zones would retain their boundaries, and that some red zones would be downgraded to yellow or orange rules.