A traveller scans the ‘Stop Covid’ QR Code before entering Siem Reap provinne. Siem Reap Provincial Hall
The Siem Reap Provincial Administration has introduced a self-registration app for travellers entering and passing through the province to facilitate Covid-19 contact tracing.
Provincial governor Tea Seiha said the new self-registration started on June 21.
According to Seiha, all travellers entering the province must complete registration at the provincial border or checkpoint. For individuals who do not understand the registration process, officials are on standby to provide assistance.
For people without a smartphone, the administration will require written registration.
Seiha said people who want to self-register personal and vehicle details before travelling can access the website at srprovince.com/login, register via Facebook or email. The system creates a transit record and a downloadable QR-code and ID card to show to officials.
Provincial administration spokesman Sun Chamnan said that since the February 20 community outbreak, the provincial authorities had set up registering and QR-code scanning places along the province’s border. But it caused congestion and long waits, so the authorities decided to let travellers self-register via the new app.
Chamnan explained that through this system, it will be easier to trace new infections and any close contact in just two or three hours. The measure is intended to prevent further outbreaks.
He said that recently large numbers of people have entered the province. On some days, the number approached tens of thousands, making data entry slow and causing a long wait at each checkpoint.
The authorities introduced the self-registration system to speed up the process at checkpoints in Chi Kraeng district bordering Kampong Thom province’s Stoung district; in Kralanh district bordering Banteay Meanchey province’s Preah Netr Preah district; and in Srei Snam district bordering Oddar Meanchey provinces’s Chongkal district.
“When travellers arrive at their destination, they are scanned without having to register anything because their data is already in the system. Previously, it took at least 10 to 15 minutes for registration,” he said.
According to Chamnan, the administration had used the “Stop Covid” QR-code introduced by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, but it was difficult to determine if any traveller is positive for Covid-19 because officials did not know where the person has been in Siem Reap. But with the new system, tracking travellers will be improved.
