COVID-19 leads to loss of 300,000 jobs in Cambodia: PM

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Monday that  the impact of COVID-19 has caused about the loss of 300,000 jobs, mainly in the tourism and garment industries. However, some of the workers in the sectors have resumed work or got new jobs as the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic has been brought under control, he said when addressing the groundbreaking ceremony for two river bridges in eastern part of the capital Phnom Penh.

"The COVID-19 has not only wreaked havoc in Cambodia, but also in all countries across the world," Hun Sen said, adding that the tourism and garment industries were hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. "Many hotels have been closed due to no foreign tourists," he said.

He said the country's economy is projected to shrink 1.9 percent this year before bouncing back next year with the gradual recovery of global economy and external demand. The Southeast Asian country has so far recorded a total of 287 confirmed COVID-19 cases with no death and 283 recoveries, showed official data.

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