Takeo provincial authorities on April 27 closed PEEVI Industry (Cambodia) Co Ltd after three people tested positive for Covid-19 at the factory.

Shortly after the factory shut, a working group found 61 people who had been in direct and indirect contact with the trio.

One of the three were identified as Vuth Sokhean, a 30-year-old resident of Khleang Sambath village in the province's Putsar commune. The other two are Chinese nationals Huang Hu, 48, and Wang Guo Qin, 46, both residing in the factory. The trio's cases were linked to the February 20 community outbreak.

“We just found three people to be positive for Covid yesterday [April 27]. The authorities went down to give instructions and temporarily shut the factory.

"The factory will be sprayed with disinfectant and workers will be allowed to resume work on May 3,” provincial Department of Labour and Vocational Training director Moeung Virya told The Post on April 28.

Virya was worried about the spread to other workers and transmission to villages and districts where they resided. But the company shut down before authorities arrived to give the order.

He added that the working group was searching for the addresses and names of the 764 factory workers to submit the provincial governor for further action.

In a notice on April 27, the Bati district administration called on people who had been in contact with the trio to immediately report to local authorities. So, they can be tested at the health centre and the Bati district referral hospital and self-isolate for 14 days.

Takeo provincial governor Ouch Phea held a meeting on April 28, ordering all relevant authorities to search for people who had been in contact with the three so that they can have their samples taken for testing and self-quarantine.

He said that If the infection is severe, quarantine sites must be prepared including local schools or teacher training schools. The district authorities will have to spray the factory with disinfectant.