Schools to Close as 47 New COVID-19 Cases Linked to Community Outbreak Are Identified
The recent COVID-19 positive cases were found in the capital and three provinces. Photo from TYDA Facebook Page.
- Sao Phal Niseiy
- March 21, 2021 3:43 AM
The health authorities had first reported 57 new cases but later issued a statement with new figures
PHNOM PENH--The Ministry of Health issued a statement in mid-afternoon on March 21 to the effect that 47 new cases of COVID-19—and not 57 as reported earlier in the day—had been detected on March 20. These cases are associated with the Feb. 20 community outbreak.
In the afternoon statement, Health Ministry spokesperson Or Vandine indicated that 36 patients were identified in Phnom Penh, seven in Kandal Province, two in Preah Sihanouk Province and one in Siem Reap Province.
One case involving a 38-year-old Chinese woman who came to the country from abroad was also reported. She travelled from China, arrived in Cambodia on March 19 and is now being treated at the Great Duke Hotel now turned into a hospital, Vandine said.
Among the new patients, there are 7 Chinese nationals and 40 Cambodians, she said.
Meanwhile, 15 patients who had contracted COVID-19 during this Feb. 20 outbreak have fully recovered and been released from care after testing negative twice for the coronavirus, Vandine added.
Schools nationwide ordered to close, again
As the Feb. 20 community outbreak has shown no slowdown in infections with more cases being detected every day or so, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport decided on Saturday night, March 20, to order the temporary closure of private and public educational institutions at all levels until further notice.
Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said in a letter released on March 20 that this closure was decreed as a preventive measure to help stem the community spread. He added that, while schools are closed, classes will continue virtually as during previous shutdowns.
Cambodia closed schools across the country for the first time on March 18, 2020, to counter the threat of the pandemic after a number of positive cases had been confirmed in the country.
Since the start of the pandemic in Cambodia in early 2020, the health authorities had recorded a total of 1,680 COVID-19 cases as of March 20, 2021. Among them, 950 patients have made a full recovery and three patients have succumbed to the disease.
