Cambodia Bans Entry From Five Countries, Records Two New Virus Cases

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH — 

Cambodia has banned entry of foreigners from Italy, Germany, Spain, France and United States for 30 days effective March 17th, as Phnom Penh recorded two more cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday.

 

A Ministry of Health statement released Saturday morning banned the entry of foreigners from the five countries, the first time Cambodia has introduced entry restrictions since the viral outbreak.

 

However, officials have not enforced similar restrictions for other countries with high number of cases, such as Iran, South Korea, Japan or China.

“This measure was made after we rapidly found foreigners with COVID-19 [in Cambodia], those foreigners have different nationalities and were travelling from abroad, where there is a COVID-19 outbreak,” said Or Vandine, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health.

 

However, Or Vandine did not clarify if only citizens of the five countries were restricted from entering Cambodia, or if the ban included other nationalities travelling through those countries.

 

She added that all but one case in Cambodia were “imported” cases, and that there had been no evidence of community transmissions. The one Cambodian who contracted the disease, she said, got it through direct transmission.

 

On Friday, health officials confirmed that two other foreigners – a Belgium and Canadian national – had tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Phnom Penh, according to Or Vandine. She added that two people had travelled abroad and returned with the virus, classifying it another case of “imported” infections.

 

The Belgian national has been quarantined at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital, with Canadian man quarantined at home, the Health Ministry spokesperson said.

 

The Canadian man works at the Canadian International School at Koh Pich, Or Vandine said, and the students have been placed in 14 days of self-quarantine.

 

“We will continue to do contact tracing, close or indirect, in accordance with the epidemiology [guidelines]. We will have updates about our plan with the school,” she said.

 

The Belgian man worked for an international organization, which had requested the ministry to not reveal its identity.

Cambodia has seen an uptick in cases recently, with three British nationals testing positive aboard a river cruise originating from Vietnam. The remaining 61 passengers and crew members have been quarantined at a hotel in Kampong Cham province.

 

A Cambodian man tested positive for the virus last week, after he came in contact with a Japanese man who also tested positive in Nagoya, Japan, hours after he left the Kingdom.

 

The total number of case worldwide has crossed 132,000 and there have been close 5,000 deaths, most from China where the virus is believed to have originated, according to the World Health Organization.

 

The global health body’s chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Europe had become another epicenter of the viral pandemic, recording more cases and deaths outside of China.

 

https://www.voacambodia.com/a/cambodia-bans-entry-from-five-countries-records-two-new-virus-cases-/5328738.html

[baansgr]

Telegraph is reporting UK/westerner citizens travelling from Cambodia to Vietnam are being banned already from entry...not a good time to be white in Asia

[bluedoc]

Telegraph is reporting UK/westerner citizens travelling from Cambodia to Vietnam are being banned already from entry...not a good time to be white in Asia

 

 

What about black people then?

[BritManToo]

Yet again the OP is incomplete .........

Travelling from? ......... or Nationalities of? .........

 

There is absolutely no point in posting with out giving the relevant facts.

Reporting at it's poorest!

Edited March 16, 2020 by BritManToo

[Sydebolle]

Travellers arriving from those five countries - I would assume. The passport is irrelevant but the boarding point is. 

[OneMoreFarang]

32 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Yet again the OP is incomplete .........

Travelling from? ......... or Nationalities of? .........

 

There is absolutely no point in posting with out giving the relevant facts.

Reporting at it's poorest!

You have a point but it seems often these news are unclear - similar to the American travel ban from Europe to the USA.

And I think it's better to get an idea of what is happening even if it is unclear compared to no news at all.

Now everybody who planned to go to Cambodia is warned to better check the details before making further plans.

[OneMoreFarang]

30 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

I would assume.

I guess you know what they say about assume....

[Sheryl]

35 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Travellers arriving from those five countries - I would assume. The passport is irrelevant but the boarding point is. 

 

"The Cambodian Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on March 14 a 30-day suspension of entry into Cambodia on “foreigners traveling from” the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.  The suspension will go into effect on Tuesday March 17.

Cambodian authorities have not clarified the application of this suspension for individuals currently outside of the country with valid Cambodia residence or work permits, or for individuals from the five cited countries seeking to enter Cambodia from other points of origin."

https://www.osac.gov/Content/Report/2fc59a83-5622-4f13-9e3a-18345c8cf67e

Bear in mind that there are no direct flights to Cambodia from any of these countries. So anyone arriving will have transited, often through Thailand, and that does making determination of boarding point more complicated. I fear that for simplification IOs will go by passport.

[Nyezhov]

Im staying put right now. 

[flexomike]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

"The Cambodian Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on March 14 a 30-day suspension of entry into Cambodia on “foreigners traveling from” the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.  The suspension will go into effect on Tuesday March 17.

Cambodian authorities have not clarified the application of this suspension for individuals currently outside of the country with valid Cambodia residence or work permits, or for individuals from the five cited countries seeking to enter Cambodia from other points of origin."

https://www.osac.gov/Content/Report/2fc59a83-5622-4f13-9e3a-18345c8cf67e

Bear in mind that there are no direct flights to Cambodia from any of these countries. So anyone arriving will have transited, often through Thailand, and that does making determination of boarding point more complicated. I fear that for simplification IOs will go by passport.

Keep us updated, I was planning on doing a border run to Cambodia if I cannot get the OA insurance, US passport holder, haven't been in the US since 2016. Was hoping to do a border hop to get a visa exemption and then convert to an O. Will be doing my physical for insurance tomorrow, more stress in the making. My extension expires on may 02

 

[thecyclist]

They got transmissions from a Belgian, a Canadian and a couple of Brits right in their middle, and they ban the French, Germans, Americans etc

What is the rationale for this selectiveness:the Swiss can still come the Germans cannot with approximately same infection rate per capita. Knee jerk reaction without rhyme and reason. 

[thecyclist]

3 minutes ago, flexomike said:

Keep us updated, I was planning on doing a border run to Cambodia if I cannot get the OA insurance, US passport holder, haven't been in the US since 2016. Was hoping to do a border hop to get a visa exemption and then convert to an O. Will be doing my physical for insurance tomorrow, more stress in the making. My extension expires on may 02

 

Similar situation, just stuck on the other side of Cambodia, Vietnam :haven't been anywhere but LOS, Cambodia, Vietnam in years. Would be great to hear whether these bans apply to nationality or travel history. Travel history makes sense, nationality does not. 

[ThaiBunny]

3 minutes ago, thecyclist said:

Travel history makes sense, nationality does not. 

Nationality is easy (passport), travel history may be impossible given the number of countries that no longer stamp the passport. You work it out

[Sheryl]

8 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Nationality is easy (passport), travel history may be impossible given the number of countries that no longer stamp the passport. You work it out

 

Exactly the problem.

 

though of course passport of nationality will both exclude people who have not come from the place of concern and miss many who have.

 

Remains to be seen how this will be applied at border entry points. I haven't heard any reports as  yet.

 

Possibly the visa run companies will have some idea.

[thecyclist]

22 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Nationality is easy (passport), travel history may be impossible given the number of countries that no longer stamp the passport. You work it out

Yes, exactly the inflexibility of bureaucracies to respond to the complex reality of the current Pandemic. As far as I know, most, if not all Asian countries, still stamp passports of all visitors from farangland, which would mean a 'continuous regional line' in your passport. Question is will countries like Cambodia, Vietnam and probably at some stage Thailand when they impose a similar ban, pay attention to that :Probably not. 

Worst case scenario ;can't stay (because no visa extensions granted), can't leave either because most of the globe in lock-down. 

[thecyclist]

24 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

Exactly the problem.

 

though of course passport of nationality will both exclude people who have not come from the place of concern and miss many who have.

 

Remains to be seen how this will be applied at border entry points. I haven't heard any reports as  yet.

 

Possibly the visa run companies will have some idea.

Yes what's the word from the visa run companies and visa runners on the ground? 

[paulikens]

mental not banning china.

[fred110]

I have an evisa but yesterday i was told I could not enter for 30 days since I'm American. They offered a refund or an extension of the valid date. Not sure if not being in the USA for 2 years matters so I'm not going to risk being g sent back. I'll wait the 30 days,