The Cambodian Government allowed private schools to reopen from 29 December and public schools to start the new academic year on 11 January, 2021.

A health check centre in Cambodia (Source: VNA)

The decision was made following Prime Minister Hun Sen’s announcement that the country’s first community outbreak of COVID-19 was over as no locally transmitted cases had been detected in the last two weeks.

The first community outbreak was confirmed on 28 November after six people of a family, who reside in both capital Phnom Penh and northwestern Siem Reap province, tested positive for the virus. Approximately 19,000 people linked to the outbreak had been tested, and 41 of them had tested positive for the virus.

However, Hun Sen called on people to continue to be vigilant as the number of COVID-19 infections around the world remained high.

On 29 December, Lao Airlines announced to suspend all charter flights to and from other countries until 23 January, 2021 to reduce the risk of a second wave of COVID-19 triggered by inbound travellers.

Anyone entering Laos on a humanitarian flight must have all the necessary documents and spend 14 days at a designated quarantine centre.

The only international route currently in service is a twice-weekly flight between Vientiane and Kunming in southwestern China.

The total number of COVID-19 cases recorded in Laos remains at 41, and 40 of them have recovered while one remains under observation in the hospital, according to the Lao Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, the Philippines will bar the entry of travellers from 20 countries and territories from 30 December to 15 January, 2021, as it tries to keep out a new, possibly more transmissible variant of the coronavirus.

The transport ministry said the ban will cover both foreign travellers and Filipinos who wish to travel to the Philippines.

The 20 countries and territories included in the travel ban are Japan, Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong (China), Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Source: VNA