Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng late on April 9 placed parts of three districts in two-week lockdown as Covid-19 cases in the areas soar to an alarming level. The lockdown will last through April 23.

Sreng said the decision came after 631 workers from Din Han Enterprise, which has over 2,600 workers, tested Covid-19 on April 9 alone, just hours after the Ministry of Health reported 576 new cases linked to the February 20 community outbreak and the country's 25th Covid-19 fatality.

“This is the toughest decision the Phnom Peng administration has made. We know that lockdown affects the feeling and living our citizens,” Sreng said.

The lockdown is enforced for the whole commune of Stung Meanchey I and Stung Meanchey II in Meanchey district; an entire village in Sen Sok district's Ou Baek K'am commune; and six villages in two communes of Por Senchey district. These are areas where most of the Covid-19 positive workers are concentrated.

Sreng said only person from each family in the areas can go out to buy food, medicines and other necessities under the monitoring of the authorities.