ALERT: Cambodia, Laos Suffer Worst Day of COVID-19 Infections on Record

Cambodia shattered its daily record of COVID-19 infections on Friday amid a worsening outbreak with nearly 700 cases of the disease caused by the coronavirus, while neighboring Laos saw a dramatic uptick in infections with its largest count to date, suggesting the pandemic is far from over in Southeast Asia.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Health said that in addition to the 700 people who tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, the country’s death toll from the pandemic rose to 61 with a caseload of more than 8,000 people.

While the coronavirus made few inroads into Cambodia in 2020, the country’s economy—which leans heavily on the production of textiles—has been battered by a drop in export demand and a series of lockdowns meant to stem the spread of the virus. Migrant workers in next-door Thailand also lost their jobs in lockdowns.

The drastic rise in infections led Prime Minister Hun Sen to issue a 14-day closure of all non-essential businesses in the capital Phnom Penh and neighboring Takhmao in Kandal province from April 15-28 and require the two cities’ combined 2.3 million residents to adhere to a strict curfew or, in certain “red zones,” stay in their homes except in the case of an emergency.

In Laos, the Ministry of Health identified 65 people Friday who had been infected with COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 159, according to Sisavath Southanilaxay, director of the infectious diseases department for the ministry and a representative of the COVID-19 protection unit.

“Of the newly infected people, 60 are from [the capital] Vientiane, two are from Champassak province, two are from Bokeo province, and one is from Vientiane province,” he said.

“All of them have been sent for treatment at their local hospitals,” he added.

Lais, a landlocked and impoverished nation, was also largely spared from the brunt of global infections n 2020, but has taken a devastating economic hit amidst the pandemic. Tourist visits plummeted and earnings from Lao migrant laborers working in Thailand fell dramatically.

On Thursday, the Lao government ordered a lockdown on Vientiane city, banning movement, closing down entertainment venues, closing schools, ordering civil servants to stay at home and calling on border officials and military units to patrol border areas to prevent people from entering the urban area illegally and spreading the coronavirus. On Friday, most provinces in Laos followed suit.


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