CAMBODIA

ANDY LUKE MHS MASTER 1990-2011 PHNOM PENH – SEPTEMBER 2020

Cambodia got worried in February, and then closed down in March. Flights leaving the country were massively reduced, and incoming flights were almost impossible to get on. Even internal flghts became difficult. Then the country completely closed its borders. Nobody was allowed in without a test followed by full-scale quarantine. Then with cases low anyone who had any sort of contact was tested and isolated.

Because testing and tracing was so near-perfect (there are always individuals) very few businesses were fully closed down. Yes there were some (cinemas, karaoke bars, beauty parlours, bars etc) which were closed for a time, and of course everyone naturally wore masks and socially distanced, but at no stage was there a total lockdown.

The upshot is that there has been no recorded local transmission case since April 12th. All other cases - every one of them documented, and every possible contact quarantined - have been imported and immediately tested and isolated.

Every entry has had to set aside $3000 in case they were incoming with an infected person, because they would be isolated in prescribed hotels if that happened. The family I know of who had to spend fourteen days in quarantine only paid out $1000 in the end. They were refunded the rest which in their case was $5000.

Bottom line - I would rather have my family here than the UK.

The knock-on effect of no tourists has hit places like Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, dreadfully hard, and many, many people are now out of work with no prospect of much money and not much hope of a government bailout. Sadly this leaves us trying to spend as much money as we can spare, trying to help whomsoever we can.

One day, this will go away. Until then...