COVID-19 PANDEMIC: Cambodia- Flights from Philippines banned as 13 infected fly in from Manila

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“The 2019 Plague” Day 257

The government, advised by the Ministry of Health, has issued an official statement announcing the temporary suspension of flights from the Philippines, effective from Thursday

The move comes as thirteen Chinese nationals flew back from the Philippines on August 9, testing positive the following day for COVID-19 while in quarantine

After flight bans from Malaysia and Indonesia were enacted due to imported cases from the countries hitting double digits on July 25, the statement said it will now ban flights from the Philippines

The Health Ministry said the 13 Chinese nationals, aged between 20 and 35, are now receiving medical treatment at the Chak Angre Krom health centre in the capital

The 119 passengers who were on board the same flight as the group are being closely monitored as they continue their mandatory 14-day quarantine at designated hotels, it said

A 13-year-old Cambodian girl and a 48-year-old Cambodian woman also tested positive for the virus on Monday, after arriving in Phnom Penh from the United States via Taiwan on August 9

They are receiving medical treatment at the Chak Angre Krom health centre

The 75 passengers who were on board the same flight are being closely monitored as they continue their mandatory 14-day quarantine

Of them, three have been sequestered in designated hotels while seven remain in the capital’s Pochentong Air Force centre, the statement said

It said a 25-year-old Cambodian man was discharged from the hospital yesterday after testing negative for the virus twice

Cambodia so far has registered a total of 266 COVID-19 cases

Of them, 220 have recovered

Meanwhile, Tbong Khmum provincial health officials claim that a 29-year-old Cambodian man, who returned from Saudi Arabia, was re-admitted for COVID-19 after being allowed to leave the hospital for two weeks

Tboung Khmum provincial health department director Dr Keo Vannak yesterday said the man was admitted to Ponhea Krek District Referral Hospital after retesting positive for the coronavirus on August 9

“He was released from Chak Angre Hospital on July 26

However, due to a follow-up by the medical team – who re-examine all patients who were treated after 13 days of their release – he retested positive and has gone back into quarantine,” he said

“Doctors will call to review the sample and we will retest him for the virus,” Dr Vannak said

He said that nine people who were in direct contact with the man were placed in quarantine at Samdech Techo Hun Sen High School in Suong city and another 38 people who were indirectly in contact were quarantined in a school in Tboung Khmum district

This is the second case where a person who recovered from the virus relapsed, with a man from Phnom Penh re-admitted in April, 15 days after being allowed to leave the hospital