Cambodia morning news for March 18, 2020

Kingdom sees nine new Covid-19 cases
The Ministry of Health said nine new cases of Covid-19 infections were detected in the Kingdom on Tuesday, bringing the total thus far to 33. There were 12 cases detected late on Monday.
— The Phnom Penh Times

PM bans all religious gatherings in wake of COVID-19 pandemic
PM Hun Sen has temporarily banned all religious gatherings in Cambodia with immediate effect.
— Khmer Times

Cambodia braces for cluster outbreak as China vows to stem cross-border spread of COVID-19
A Cambodian Muslim leader has expressed fears that a number of Cambodian Muslims who attended a religious congregation in Malaysia may have become infected with COVID-19.
— Khmer Times

Three Cambodian river cruise vessels denied docking in Vietnam’s water
Three river cruise vessels since yesterday remain stuck in Vietnamese waters after they were denied disembarkation and docking due to fear of the COVID-19 outbreak, one of the vessel managers said.
— Khmer Times

Phnom Penh’s Great Duke Hotel to be COVID-19 Quarantine Centre
The Ministry of Health has announced that the former Great Duke Hotel on Mao Tse Toung Boulevard, Phnom Penh will be used as a quarantine and care centre for potential COVID-19 victims in Cambodia.
— Khmer Times

KTVs and Cinemas Across Cambodia Closed Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Cambodia has decided to close all KTVs and cinemas throughout the country, a move to contain the spread of COVID-19.
— AKP

Dancing Clubs and Museums Also Required to Close Down
Dancing clubs, pubs and museums throughout the country need to be shut down in addition to KTVs and cinemas to prevent the mass spread of COVID-19 pandemic, said a new letter of the Ministry of Health made public this evening.
— AKP

Gov’t Orders to Postpone All Concerts at Public Places
The Royal Government has ordered to suspend all concerts at all public places throughout the country, a move to contain the COVID-19 spread.
— AKP

Most of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Cambodia are imported
Almost all the 12 cases with confirmed COVID-19 infection are imported cases, except the Cambodian man in Siem Reap who was in direct contact with a Japanese infected man, said the Communicable Disease Control Department (CDC) of the Ministry of Health.
— Khmer Times

PM Hun Sen: COVID-19 Issue in Cambodia Under Control
COVID-19 issue in Cambodia is under control, the main problem is fear, not that disease, underlined Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, while receiving H.E. Takahashi Fumiaki, President of Japan-Cambodia Association, at the Peace Palace this morning.
— AKP

PM restricts citizens from travelling to COVID-19 worst-hit countries
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday restricted citizens from travelling to the United States, Iran and parts of Europe over COVID-19 fears.
— Khmer Times

Returning diplomats told to self-quarantine as sources confirm new case
Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn has ordered returning diplomats from overseas to self-quarantine for 14 days as a safety precaution amid COVID-19 fears.
— Khmer Times

New dolphin calf spotted in Kratie province
A newly born dolphin calf was spotted swimming among other adult dolphins in Kampi deep pool located in Kratie province, WWF-Cambodia said in a statement.
— Khmer Times

Land Ministry outlines last year’s achievements, future plans
To date, more than 480,000 impoverished families have been granted social land concessions by the government on more than 1.3 million hectares, Ministry of Land Management spokesman Seng Lot said yesterday.
— Khmer Times

Students retreat online as schools closed nationwide
Students are advised to learn remotely as all public and private academic institutes in Cambodia temporarily shut their doors in response to the upswing in COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom, the Ministry of Education said yesterday.
— Khmer Times

Profiling students in limbo due to COVID-19 global outbreak
The global COVID-19 outbreak is a concern shared by many people around the world. According to media reports, the Chinese government has responded by locking down Wuhan city in Hubei province, where the virus was first detected in January, and urging citizens to self-quarantine.
— Khmer Times

Court frees activists over trespassing allegation
After almost two days of interrogation, the four environmental activists who were sent to Kratie provincial court for allegedly trespassing on the premises of Think Biotech Cambodia Co Ltd were released yesterday.
— Khmer Times

UK pledges $4 million in mine clearance aid
The Cambodia Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) yesterday said the UK has pledged $4.3 million in aid to support the Kingdom’s mine clearing operations as part of the UK-funded Global Mine Action Programme Phase II (GMAP2).
— Khmer Times

Appeal Court hears CNRP cadre’s appeal against incitement
The Appeal Court on Tuesday heard the appeal of Kong Mas, the former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) activist in Svay Rieng province against a lower court conviction which sentenced him to one-and-a-half years imprisonment for incitement to bring chaos between April and October 2018.
— The Phnom Penh Times

Virus threatens food catering businesses
The impact of the Covid-19 outbreak has reached the food catering industry as people across the country stay clear of large gatherings such as weddings.
— The Phnom Penh Times

Students get free e-education app
The Cambodian Union of Youth Federations (CUYF) has teamed up with E-school Cambodia to deliver free of charge online learning for grades 1 to 12 to keep learning on track amid Kingdom-wide school closures.
— The Phnom Penh Times

Travel goods exports double
Exports of travel goods last year were worth $1.2 billion, twice as much as in 2018, said the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC).
— The Phnom Penh Times

MRC launches campaign to inspire river protection
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) has launched a social media competition that calls on users to share messages that can inspire people to do more to protect rivers.
— The Phnom Penh Times

China donates Covid-19 reagent
China has donated “reagent” – a critical component in Covid-19 testing – to Cambodia, the Chinese Embassy said on Tuesday.
— The Phnom Penh Times

Villagers make second appeal to crackdown on fake palm sugar
For the second time, villagers have urged the authorities to act against fake palm sugar producers who operated at night, causing pollution at their village at Lompong commune, in Bati district, Takeo province.
— The Phnom Penh Times

Kingdom’s pagodas to stage battle cry event against coronavirus
Senior monks in Cambodia have advised Buddhist pagoda heads across the country to beat drums and recite prayers loudly together on the evening of March 23 to ward off Covid-19.
— The Phnom Penh Times

Japan, Cambodia boost bilateral ties
Foreign Affairs Ministry undersecretary of state Chea Kimtha and Japanese director-general for Southeast Asian Affairs Hiroshi Ishikawa held a meeting yesterday to bolster cooperation between the two countries.
— Khmer Times

ANA to protect heritage and limit new structures
The Apsara National Authority (ANA) said 1,799 families living in the World Heritage Site are allowed to renovate, repair, and construct small houses. However, excessive work that affected the aesthetics of the Angkor region would not be tolerated.
— The Phnom Penh Times

Civil servants to benefit from pay rises and new year bonus
The government has issued two sub-decrees – raising the salaries of civil servants and providing a bonus of 50,000 riel ($12.50) for Khmer New Year.
— The Phnom Penh Times

Ministry: Authorities can help transfer car ownership
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport has informed the public and vehicle owners who have bought used vehicles without the previous owner’s information to apply for ownership transfer documents from the authorities.
— The Phnom Penh Times

New strategy unveiled in fight against drugs
The government has implemented a seven-point strategy in its fifth campaign to combat illegal drugs between January and December this year. The strategy comes in the wake of reports that drug trafficking has increased in the Kingdom.
— The Phnom Penh Times

NACD reports 40 percent rise in drug busts
The National Authority for Combating Drugs yesterday reported a 40 percent increase in drug seizures last year compared to 2018.
— Khmer Times

Two Vietnamese women detained on drug charge
The deputy chief of the Ratanakkiri anti-drug office, Sok Sen Chamrong, said on Tuesday that an investigating judge has charged two Vietnamese women with drug trafficking under Article 33 of law on drug control. They were identified as Pov Hak, 55, and Vin Thinhong, 47.
— The Phnom Penh Times

Boy, 15, loses arm in mistaken gang attack
Mongkol Borei district deputy police chief Ly Chhun Kong said five men were arrested after a 15-year-old boy was attacked by seven men armed with swords in an incident which saw the victim lose his right arm.
— The Phnom Penh Times

Feature photo UNICEF Cambodia

This week’s Cambodia morning news feature photo focuses on World Water Day, March 22

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

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