With the lifting of lockdown in Phnom Penh and Kandal province’s Takmao town on May 6 and the inter-provincial travel ban recently, people can now resume travel in yellow zones throughout the country as long as they follow measures issued by municipal and provincial authorities, according to Phnom Penh deputy governor Keout Chher.

Speaking at a press conference on May 6, Chher said the police would no longer put up barricades to block travelling to and from the capital. But those travelling into Phnom Penh from red zones or locked down areas in other provinces are subject to quarantine.

Another municipal deputy governor, Mean Chanyada, said that after the lockdown, the municipality would retain the zoning system for another week to ensure the continuation of necessary administrative, health and preventive measures.

“We have strictly and successfully enforced the administrative measures with the participation from different stakeholders within different zones,” he said.

Chanyada urged residents in the red zone to be patients and follow the government’s directives until May 12 in order to end the outbreak. He explained that the red and orange zones are still at high risk.

He said that from May 7 the Phnom Penh authorities will focus on administrative and legal measures for businesses that violate the directives.

They will be shut down, have their licences revoked and are subject to legal actions.

Ou Virak, executive director of the Future Forum thinktank, supported the measures put in place for each zone rather than a lockdown of the entire city.

“In general, the division of zones by red, orange and yellow is similar to those measures taken during the lockdown. But now the division is down to village level and that is better. I believe that this will ease the burdens of the people and the government alike,” he said.

He said the lockdown of some areas with high risk of transmission was still necessary, but vaccination will help solve this problem.