Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng said that some 90,000 migrant workers had returned from Thailand, but none of those tested had contracted Covid-19. The ministry has spent more than $10 million combating Covid-19.

The minister made the remarks at a weekly press conference at the ministry on Monday to deliver an update on Covid-19 developments. However, the risks were still there, he said.

Communicable Disease Control Department director Ly Sovann also said at the press conference that of the number, 410 tested negative for the virus.

Ministry secretary of state York Sambath said it is prepared to check the health of migrant workers from Thailand along three border areas, namely Poipet, Doung and O’Smach.

The National Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control has prepared tents along the borders and is preparing a budget for hospitals and food for waiting migrant workers.

The army has also prepared transportation from the border regions to the capital and 24 provinces.

At the same time, she updated budgets and spending to combat the disease, saying that the national committee had received a total of $13 million from donors and benefactors.

Of the amount, the ministry used $5 million to buy materials, especially facemasks.

Another $1 million would be transferred to the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training in support of treatments and tests for workers who returned home during the Khmer New Year.

The state planned to spend a total of $30 million. The Ministry of Health spent $4.5 million purchasing medical materials to be supplied to all provinces and the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital and Chak Angre Health Center.

Sambath said that spending on each patient was between $2,000 and $2,500 for hospital accommodation from 10 days and over.

“At Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, a test cost $100-$120 as experienced from passengers on the MS Westerdam cruise ship. So, there are two kinds of tests. Some tests were run on patients who show symptoms of Covid-19 and those who don’t show symptoms.

“I think that an average 10-day hospital stay for each person costs between $2,000 and $2,500 per case,” she said.

Besides the budget, she said development partners from different countries had donated a total of $20 million. The donation was made in the form of 60 ambulances and ventilators.

Cambodia has 124 ventilators at hospitals. Recently, it received another 25 and later this month, 35 more are expected to arrive. The World Bank is donating another 50 ventilators.