National Military Police Commander Sao Sokha has advised personnel across the country to set up Covid-19 treatment facilities as cases are surging with Cambodian migrant workers returning in increasing numbers.

In a 20-minute audio message on July 7, Sokha instructed Military Police chiefs and offices under their commands to assign roles and responsibilities now to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic from advancing further as the risk is becoming greater.

“Although there hasn’t been a huge death toll, the number of Covid-19 patients keeps increasing. So, I would like to advise all police chiefs, chiefs of staff and deputy commanders to pay attention, ” he said.

Regarding Covid-19 treatment facilities, he instructed authorities to choose locations far away from military bases to avoid widespread transmission.

“You can take unused schools by installing beds, putting up fences, digging wells, preparing toilets and connecting electricity. All provinces have to report regularly to military headquarters for a tally,” he said.

He also advised military officials to prepare the Long Chhing base in Prek Pnov commune of the capital’s Prek Pnov district as a Covid-19 treatment facility for mild cases.

“Go to inspect buildings on the ground of the Long Chhing base to prepare them as treatment facility for mild cases. Inspect all technical buildings to prepare beds, clean up environments, connect water and power, establish a management working group, medics and cooks to provide for Covid-19 patients,” he said.

Banteay Meanchey Provincial Administration spokesman Sek Sokhom told The Post that the number of returning migrant workers had increased day to day and many have tested positive for Covid-19, prompting the authorities to set up more quarantine facilities.

“In order to prevent Covid-19 from spreading to communities, specialists from the Poipet international border checkpoint have paid more attention to controlling the health of migrant workers entering Cambodia through proper testing and quarantine,” he said.

He added that at present, the province has more than 100 cases of Covid-19 detected per day.

The province has nine quarantine centres. The authorities has added two more sites and prepared to add treatment centres because the current treatment facilities are narrow.

“Hospitals had no longer admitted Covid-19 patients, so we take schools and other centres as treatment facilities,” he said.

Sokhom continued that as of July 7, the province had 41 Covid-19 fatalities, while infected people totalled more than 4,000.

In Siem Reap province, information department director Liv Sokhon said the provincial leader had also paid increased attention to controlling people along the provincial border as the number of returning migrant workers had increased.

“Because when the situation got bad in Thailand, it shut down a lot of work-related areas. The contagion became widespread, Thailand became worried. So, a lot of Cambodian migrant workers have returned home. Siem Reap province alone sees 30 to 40 returning workers a day,” he said.

Sokhon added that from March last year to early July of this year, approximately 28,425 Cambodian migrant workers had returned from Thailand.