Hungarian Foreign Minister’s Visit: Another 212 People Test Negative for COVID-19

Or Vandine, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health speaks during a press conference on COVID-19 situation in Phnom Penh.
  • Torn Chanritheara
  • November 6, 2020 7:12 AM

So far, all people who were in contact with the Hungarian dignitary show no sign of the disease



PHNOM PENH--The Ministry of Health on Nov. 6 reported that 212 more people who had come into contact with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó during his state visit to the country on Nov. 3 have tested negative for the coronavirus.



This brings the total number of people identified as having been in direct or indirect contact with Szijjártó to 840, up from 628 people reached on Nov. 5 and all have tested negative for COVID-19, the ministry said in its statement.



“The Ministry, however, has instructed all people who tested negative in the first round to properly continue self-quarantine at their own homes in accordance with the Ministry’s guidelines,” the statement read



Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjártó on Nov. 4 tested positive for COVID-19 in Thailand. One day earlier, he had made a state visit to Cambodia during which he had met Prime Minister Hun Sen and a number of high-ranking officials. 



The Health Ministry stressed in its statement on Nov. 6 that these officials must undergo three more tests at the Office of the Council of the Ministers’ Friendship Palace where arrangements have been made to conduct those tests. The second test will be on Nov. 9, the third test on Nov. 14 and the fourth test on Nov. 18.



Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Nov. 5 that, following his 30-hour self-quarantine, he was feeling well. “There is nothing strange [happening] inside my body at all,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “[I] eat well, rest well, check reports, review and decide [regarding] requests from ministries and institutions, and sign documents as before.”



He added that, as a precaution to prevent contamination, he and his wife Bun Rany are sleeping in separate rooms even though he, his wife, 18 bodyguards and a driver  have tested negative for the coronavirus.



Based on the experience acquired over more than 10 months, Hun Sen said, preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country has largely been done by imposing quarantine measures under the direction of Ministry of Health and by people who undergo quarantine abiding by the rules.



“Prevention is better than cure,” he stressed.



Meanwhile, Ros Soveacha, spokesman for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport said in an interview via Telegram that four private schools have identified seven staff members and students who had direct or indirect contact with the Hungarian foreign minister. While the staff member had direct contact with Szijjártó, the students were indirectly in contact with him through their parents, he said, adding that all seven people have tested negative for COVID-19.



“The management of these educational institutions have strictly implemented the measures in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, and has suspended teaching in classrooms and switched to online classes for 14 days,” Soveacha said.


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