The Law on Measures to Prevent the Spread of Covid-19 and Other Serious, Dangerous and Contagious Diseases was established due to the necessity of empowering the government with the means to contain a pandemic, officials said.

Minister of Justice Koeut Rith defended the law and an accompanying sub-decree during a press conference held jointly with the Ministry of Health on March 15 as Cambodia grapples with the February 20 community outbreak of Covid-19, which has seen cases rise to 810 in less than a month.

On March 15, Prime Minister Hun Sen also instructed the governors of Phnom Penh and some provinces to consider banning gatherings including weddings. The instruction came after a social media celebrity attended a wedding ceremony in Takeo province and later tested positive for Covid-19, prompting the authorities to cordon off an entire village where the ceremony took place.

Koeut Rith said the government was now empowered to put in place the necessary measures to contain the current outbreak as well as other contagious diseases that may arise in the future.

“In order to ensure the effective enforcement of all laws, there must be penalties. It’s not just in Cambodia, but other countries also have laws that set forth punishments,” he said.

He explained that the government and relevant ministries did not draft this law impulsively. A great deal of research was done and many planning documents were drawn up and the law had been studied by countries in the region and across the world.

“This law is made for one purpose only – to protect people’s lives and public health. This law only punishes those who do not respect the measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, a disease which could kill Cambodians and do harm to society,” he said.

According to Koeut Rith, the main offences stipulated in this law are escape from quarantine or quarantine centres, which is punishable by six months to three years in prison and a fine of between one and five million riel ($250 and $1,250).

Similarly, he said escape from treatment or from a treatment facility is punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of between five and 20 million riel.

The most serious offence is the intentional act of spreading Covid-19, which is punishable by five to 10 years in prison. The sentence for such an offence is increased to 10 to 20 years if it is carried out as part of an organised group or arranged by an organisation.

The violation of administrative measures is punishable by a fine of one to five million riel. If that act of disobedience results in the transmission of disease to others, then the offender can be sentenced to imprisonment from six months to three years and possibly five years in aggravated circumstances.

The act of barring or obstructing the enforcement of this law is punishable by imprisonment from six months to three years and a fine from two to 10 million riel. The sentence can be further increased if the offender’s actions result in the transmission of Covid-19 to others.

At the press conference, health ministry spokeswoman Or Vandine said if over the next two weeks all citizens conscientiously follow the required health measures, the February 20 community outbreak will come to an end.

“Over the next two weeks, if brothers and sisters follow the instructions seriously, stay indoors and conscientiously carry out these measures, I expect that infections will begin to slow down and then we might put an end to the community transmission,” she said.

She continued that the health ministry might disclose the identities of individuals who fail to cooperate or attempt to flout the required health measures.

In an audio message addressing municipal and provincial governors, Hun Sen said the matter must be taken seriously and Covid-19 preventive measures must be introduced.

“I beg our people for their understanding. Now, there is only one [Covid-19] case in Takeo province [but] many places have already been closed as they may pose high risks,” he said.