Phnom Penh Military Police on May 30 arrested a 39-year-old Covid-19 patient after he escaped from a treatment centre.

According to the municipal Gendarmerie’s Facebook page, the man is a resident of Kouk Khleang village in Sen Sok district’s Kouk Khleang commune.

He was tested for Covid 19 at Kouk Roka health centre in Prek Pnov district. After the result came back positive, he fled despite medical workers there persuading him to stay and explaining to him the risks he posed to others.

A Military Police officer who asked not to be named told The Post on May 31 that the man immediately ran away after being told he was positive for Covid-19.

According to the law on the control of Covid-19 and other contagious diseases, those who evade treatment face between one and five years in prison and a fine of five to 20 million riel ($1,250 to $5,000) if found guilty.

If the offender is found to have transmitted the disease to other, the jail term will more than double to between five and 10 years.