{"id":88712,"date":"2021-03-22T22:53:29","date_gmt":"2021-03-22T22:53:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=177274"},"modified":"2021-03-22T22:53:29","modified_gmt":"2021-03-22T22:53:29","slug":"cambodia-confirms-fourth-covid-19-death-as-government-closes-schools-entertainment-venues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/03\/22\/cambodia-confirms-fourth-covid-19-death-as-government-closes-schools-entertainment-venues\/","title":{"rendered":"Cambodia Confirms Fourth COVID-19 Death as Government Closes Schools, Entertainment Venues"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cambodia recorded its fourth COVID-19 death Monday as the country ordered the closure of schools and entertainment venues amid an intensifying outbreak of the coronavirus that causes the disease more than a year after it was labeled a global pandemic.<\/p>\n

According to the Ministry of Health, 75-year-old retired doctor Sderng Chea was admitted to the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in the capital Phnom Penh on Sunday with a severe lung infection and died a day later from complications related to COVID-19. Sderng Chea had served as the chairman of the Medical and Sports Science Committee of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia.<\/p>\n

RFA\u2019s Khmer Service was unable to reach Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine for comment on the country\u2019s fourth COVID-19 death, but she told local media that before his arrival at the hospital, Sderng Chea was in \u201ccritical condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking to Bayon TV, Or Vandine said that the spread of the coronavirus is \u201con the rise\u201d in Cambodia, affecting both children and the elderly, and suggested that a \u201cvicious new mutation\u201d is making it more difficult for medical professionals to treat the infected.<\/p>\n

She warned the public not to doubt the seriousness of the virus or to assume it is a hoax.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people say they don\u2019t believe it is a real virus or a pandemic, and claim it is an organized scam,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me ask you, how can you organize and fabricate the number of dead? We must realize this is the life of a person, not a joke, but some people are falling victim to fake propaganda.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far, seven people have died while being treated for COVID-19, but the Ministry of Health only acknowledges that four people\u2014including Sderng Chea\u2014have died of the disease. The ministry claims that the other three deaths were caused by heart disease and severe pneumonia.<\/p>\n

Cambodia marked its first official death from COVID-19 on March 11, a year to the day that the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled the coronavirus a global pandemic.<\/p>\n

While the country has remained relatively unscathed by the virus, it reported a daily record last week of 105 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country\u2019s total number of infections to 1,430\u2014nearly triple that of a month ago when the latest outbreak was first detected. By Monday, the number of infections had climbed to 1,753.<\/p>\n

Despite the month-long outbreak, it was only on March 20 that Cambodia\u2019s government issued an order closing the country\u2019s schools and entertainment venues\u2014including cinemas, theaters, and museums. However, factories\u2014which have recorded an increase of cases among staff\u2014remain open with workers commuting crammed together in the backs of trucks daily.<\/p>\n

Social development analyst Seng Sary told RFA that the public has become more vigilant as the death toll has increased. But he urged the government to work harder to prevent the spread of the virus, saying it is imperative for both authorities and the public to cooperate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are still some citizens who neglect the safety rules and hold small gatherings,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut mostly, we have started to see people become more cautious \u2026 after seeing four people die. I hope we all take more caution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Call for plan on outbreak, economy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also on Monday, Cambodia\u2019s lesser-known opposition Grassroot Democratic Party (GDP) called on the government to devise specific plans to address the recent outbreak and the national economy, which has suffered during the pandemic, particularly due to rising unemployment.<\/p>\n

The party, which lacks a seat in the National Assembly, urged the government in a statement to respond in a timely manner, including by establishing a commission to study key issues, such as targeted assistance, the informal economy, the return of migrant workers from abroad, and how much of the national budget should be allocated to helping to support the livelihood of the people and facilitate debt repayment. <\/p>\n

In addition, the GDP called for a commission to study farming production that can help the economy rebound and create local jobs, as well as how the business community can assist in a national recovery after the threat of the coronavirus is over.<\/p>\n

GDP founder Yang Saing Koma told RFA that the government\u2019s current measures are insufficient and called for a \u201cclear, master plan\u201d that promotes contributions from all parties and development partners.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not about the Grassroot Democratic Party, it\u2019s about the whole nation and its need to respond to the current problems\u2014especially how we can quickly recover our economy and tourism sector after the crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruling Cambodian People\u2019s Party (CPP) spokesman Sok Eysan called the GDP\u2019s statement a \u201cpolitical ploy,\u201d adding that the government already has control of the situation. He noted that the government has set up quarantine centers, as well as provided food and additional funding to the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose who have political motives against the government were chosen to be interviewed, such as motorbike taxi drivers, and then their interviews were broadcast on Radio Free Asia,\u201d he said. \u201cTherefore, the problem seems unsolvable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI follow RFA closely. I\u2019m on top of the situation and I regularly compare between the news broadcasts and the reality in Cambodia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sok Eysan did not elaborate on how the two situations differ.<\/p>\n

The World Bank recently warned that, because of the pandemic, poverty in 2020 could increase among households involved in key sectors like tourism, construction, trade, manufacturing and the garment industry.<\/p>\n

Reported by RFA\u2019s Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

This post was originally published on Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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