Municipal governor Khuong Sreng speaks in a meeting at City Hall in January. PHNOM PENH ADMINISTRATION
Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng has warned that people who test positive for Covid-19 must inform the authorities and not try to hide their condition, or they will face legal action.
In a directive on measures to control, care for and treat patients at home issued on February 2, Sreng said that when an individual tested positive for Covid-19, they must immediately isolate themselves from family members and inform health officials and local authorities.
He said local authorities and medical personnel would visit their home to assess whether it was suitable for home treatment or whether they must be transferred to a state facility.
Should they test positive for Omicron and have the result confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, those who had any contact with them must enter quarantine and undergo a PCR test at a location designated by the Ministry of Health.
“If the Phnom Penh Municipal Administration or local authorities discover that an individual has returned a positive test and not reported it, that person will have assumed criminal responsibility and will face prosecution,” Sreng said.
He added that anyone who returned a positive result – whether asymptomatic or suffering ill effects – must sign a contract with authorities in order to receive home-based treatment.
He also encouraged anyone who heard of any family that was concealing positive cases to report to local authorities.
“The municipal administration will keep their information confidential and will take action to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in their locality,” he said.
Sreng also reminded all authorities in the capital’s 14 districts to work with health officials to ensure that these instructions are followed.
“If any individual disobeys these instructions, legal action will be taken – without exception – as soon as the person has recovered,” he said.
Cambodia had recorded more than 800 Omicron cases as of January 31, with most having recovered.
On January 21, Prime Minister Hun Sen permitted all those who tested positive for Omicron to get treatment at home, providing their houses allow isolation from family members. Foreign nationals can also receive home-based treatment.
The health ministry noted that there had been no deaths in the last 29 days, though new infections continued to be detected every day – all of them Omicron – both in the community and among inbound passengers.
Separately, Preah Norodom Primary School in the capital’s Daun Penh district has now been closed for three weeks, after a total of 10 students and teachers tested positive for Omicron and other variants.
Principal Meas Chorpoan told The Post on February 2 that no new cases had been found and the school will reopen on February 9.
“The municipal administration will come to disinfect and clean our campus on Saturday before students return. We can now reopen the school because all of the seven who were found to be positive have recovered. The other three were linked to infections outside of the school,” she added.
