Cambodia is on the alert for a more infectious strain of the COVID-19 virus which originated in the United Kingdom and is now at its doorstep after cases  were reported in Vietnam and Thailand over the weekend.

The novel strain called SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 or “B.1.1.7.” was first discovered in September in the southeast of England and may be responsible for the recent spike in cases in the region.

According to Xinhua, a Vietnamese woman travelling from the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19 on December 24.

It was then revealed that she was infected with the strain first detected in the UK.

A World Health Organization press release published yesterday said clinical research suggests that this strain spreads faster than the original strain but it doesn’t show increased severity.

The press release said studies are being conducted to determine if vaccine performance is affected by the new strain.

In Thailand, the new, more contagious virus strain was also detected in a British family of four who recently arrived in the country, according to media reports.

In view of this, Cambodia has stepped up checks along its borders with Vietnam and Thailand to prevent the “super-spreader” virus from crossing into the Kingdom.

The stepped-up checks along the Thai border also come after 16 more returnee migrant workers tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.

Battambang province deputy governor Soeum Bunrithy said yesterday that he had already prepared preventive measures by placing forces along the border and some corridors 100 metres apart, involving 10 to 15 officers per stretch, including border police and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

“We know that in general, the workers who come to Cambodia today do not do so through the entrance agreed upon with the Thai authorities. They mostly enter through the streams and walk through the corridors,” he said. Some of them try to avoid doing quarantine by hiring taxis to return to their homes.”

Bunrithy appealed to Cambodians working in Thailand to follow the instructions of the Thai authorities all times in the wake of the new strain of the virus.

Ly Sary, deputy governor of Banteay Meanchey province, said yesterday that although no migrant workers in the province had so far tested positive for COVID-19, the authorities had deployed more than 300 police and military officers along the corridors at the Thai border.

“We have already deployed forces along the border, with police and military forces preventing and restricting the entry and exit of migrant workers,” he said.

He called on migrant workers not to run away or refrain from doing quarantine and follow the instructions of the Ministry of Health on the 14-day requirement before returning to their houses.

Sary added that migrant workers, who are working in Thailand, should not move from one area to another to avoid being infected by the new virus strain.

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Ros Pharith, deputy governor of Svay Rieng province, said that the authorities are keeping strict checks along the Vietnam-Cambodia border to prevent illegal crossings of Cambodian or Vietnamese workers.

“We have been tightening checks at the border checkpoint and if people enter, we require them to be placed in quarantine centres for 14 days,” he said.

General Keo Vanthorn, General Department of Immigration spokesman, said yesterday that officials at the border gates have been working closely with the Ministry of Health to monitor migrant workers, who cross the border and other corridors.

Those crossing the border illegally will be immediately sent for quarantine.

“The Ministry of Health has advised people, especially migrant workers, to be very careful about a new virus strain of COVID-19 and participate in the implementation of sanitary measures on a regular basis,”  Gen Vanthorn said.

Or Vandine, Ministry of Health spokeswoman, said yesterday that although the new virus strain has a potential mutations, people will be safe if they follow preventive measures.

“In order to protect ourselves from the spread of a new virus strain of COVID-19, I appeal to all authorities to continue to restrict the movement of all migrant workers who enter Cambodia, ensure they are quarantined for 14 days and prevent any of them from fleeing the quarantine centres,” she said.

Meanwhile, WHO on Thursday authorised the use of the Pfizer vaccine in emergency situations under its Covax initiative but it is unclear when or if Cambodia will be receiving this vaccine.

The Covax facility has reportedly been working with Pfizer to order doses, but distributing the vaccine could be difficult in Cambodia because it needs to be stored at sub-zero temperatures.

Dr Li Ailan, WHO representative to Cambodia, told Khmer Times that distributing a vaccine which requires ultra-cold temperatures presents a challenge to many countries, including Cambodia.

She said Covax is working to bring other vaccines under development with less stringent storing requirements to countries with limited resources.

“It is our hope that WHO will issue its emergency use listing for more COVID-19 vaccines in 2021,” she said.

Concerning Cambodia’s preparedness, Ailan said she has been impressed with the policies implemented thus far.

“WHO is pleased that Cambodia has already developed its draft National Deployment and Vaccination Plan and Operational Guidelines for vaccine roll-out and [it’s] also encouraging to see other ongoing preparations in Cambodia, including the rapid funding mobilisation under the leadership of the government,” Ailan wrote in an e-mail.

Vandine said the government has already ordered one million doses from Covax, but she does not know which vaccine will be available.

In a related development the Ministry of Health confirmed yesterday that a male migrant worker who died while in quarantine in Tboung Khmum province had suffered a fatal heart attack on Saturday.

The 52 year-old victim was in quarantine after he crossed the Oddar Meanchey province border from Thailand on December 28. He tested negative for COVID-19 before being placed in mandatory quarantine.

The ministry also reported that the COVID-19 migrant workers cluster, tally had increased to 16 over the weekend with total positive cases rising to 381.

This includes two migrant worker women who tested positive on Saturday after returning from Thailand.