Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng confirmed that measures to prevent Covid-19 from being imported from abroad had been tightened, and all passengers arriving at airports would now be quarantined.

He made it clear that Cambodia had not relaxed measures to contain the virus, especially with two more imported cases being recorded in the Kingdom.

Bun Heng was quoted by Fresh News as saying: “It is not only the flights from South Korea. All passengers who return to Cambodia have to be quarantined for 14 days and tested for Covid-19 to prevent spreading the virus.

“If results come out negative, those passengers will continue to be kept in quarantine on their own accord.”

Bun Heng’s remarks came as flights from South Korea transported a total of 100 passengers including Cambodian, French, US, Iraqi and South Korean citizens to the Phnom Penh International Airport.

Those passengers were taken to health centres at the Royal Air Force Base and Chak Angre Krom commune to wait for test results from Institut Pasteur du Cambodge.

The ministry announced on May 20 that all passengers who fly into Cambodia must have letters confirming that they are free of Covid-19 infection.

They must also have health insurance coverage of $50,000. Upon arriving in Cambodia, they are to be taken to health centres for Covid-19 testing.

The ministry emphasised that if one passenger or more is found to have Covid-19, all passengers are to be kept in quarantine at the locations set by the inter-ministerial committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

If all passengers test negative, they will be allowed to self-quarantine at home.

State Secretariat of Civil Aviation spokesman Chea Aun told The Post on Monday that since a decision was made to allow passengers from the US and five other countries to enter Cambodia, flights to the Kingdom had not increased.

“On Sunday 100 passengers came from South Korea and today more than 200 arrived from China,” he said.