COVID-19: Cambodia to close casinos, halt rice exports
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday said the nation’s casinos would be closed starting onWednesday and rice exports would stop by Sunday in response to the coronavirus pandemic, state media reported.
Recently, as Cambodia’s total Covid-19 infections topped 100 cases, the premier said the government was weighing whether to declare a state of emergency, but as of yet, no national lockdown has been announced.
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The South-East Asian nation’s casino sector has boomed in recent years, spurred by Chinese investment in the south-western coastal province of Preah Sihanouk.
However, growth in the industry took a hit at the end of 2019 when the government stopped licensing online gambling businesses, many of which set up shop inside casinos.
State media outlet AKP reported Cambodia confirmed 107 Covid-19 cases since January, over half of which are foreign nationals.
Some 23 people have recovered from respiratory disease.
According to AKP Hun Sen, who has led the country for 35 years, said the halt on rice exports, a key agricultural crop, was intended to ensure local food security during the pandemic.
