The notion of a seven-day quarantine period is well received by international businesses.

[ASEAN NOW]

 

Foreign experts say Cambodia's economy would benefit greatly if the government implemented the prime minister's proposal for a seven-day quarantine, especially if it applied to both businesspeople and tourists.

The country is currently closed to foreign tourists, and business visa holders must stay in a hotel for at least 14 days.

 

Mr Hun Sen said on Friday that travelers who are completely vaccinated should be permitted to visit the Kingdom and spend the first week exploring the area around their lodgings.

“Those who have been vaccinated can visit Cambodia for seven days upon arrival, not in a room: they can stroll around the city,” Prime Minister Hun Sen remarked.

 

The approach is more akin to Thailand's sandbox program than to a quarantine. Tourists who have been fully immunised can travel to Phuket, Koh Samui, and other famous places and leave their hotels to explore the resort. Thailand also intends to welcome international visitors to its capital, Bangkok, as soon as this month. However, due to an increase in local Coronavirus infections, local officials have suggested that the date be put back to the beginning of next month.

 

Travelers who spent two weeks in Cambodian hotels say the government should include Phnom Penh in any reopening plan so that business travelers may make the most of their time there.

 

Even after receiving two doses of AstraZeneca vaccine in Cambodia and two shots of Moderna vaccine in his home nation of Canada, one regular business arrival in Cambodia who is staying in a quarantine hotel stated he couldn't understand why he had to spend 14 days in isolation.

 

He stated, "This quarantine is not productive." “A seven-day sandbox plan would be fantastic. Working in this manner isn't a problem for men. I'm attempting to hold meetings via Zoom, but the internet is so bad that it's a pain. It would be nice if they could reduce it to four days for fully vaccinated people, as Argentina did for a period, but the seven-day sandbox would also be fantastic. If they strapped a wrist monitor to my wrist and told me I could go one kilometer from the hotel, I'd make restaurant reservations and schedule four to five meetings every day. It would help the economy,” the man, who did not want to be identified, claimed.

 

“If business travelers and investors could come to Cambodia more freely, the economy would benefit immensely. If we can invite them back for physical meetings, site visits, and introductions, as well as as guests who normally spend a lot of money during their visits, we can help the economy recover. According to EuroCham Cambodia Chairman Tassilo Brinzer, "such a statement may effectively convey that Cambodia is an open country with a rapidly modernizing economy." “Other countries with similar high vaccination rates are already opening up, while the healthcare system's greater vulnerability need continuing attention. I'm confident the government is carefully examining all arguments and evidence."

 

Others simply wish to make it easier for family members to visit.

 

More over three-quarters of Cambodia's population has been vaccinated, and Phnom Penh has one of the highest per-person immunization rates in the world.