Cambodia lifts entry ban from six countries as coronavirus eases

[PHNOM PENH] Cambodia has lifted a ban on entry of visitors from Iran, Italy, Germany, Spain, France and the United States that had been put in place to curb the spread of coronavirus, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

Despite the easing, foreign visitors would still need to have a certificate no more than 72 hours old confirming that they are not infected with the novel coronavirus and proof of US$50,000 worth of health insurance while in Cambodia, the ministry said.

They also would be quarantined for 14 days after arrival at government designate place and tested for the coronavirus, a ministry statement said, but did not specify where.

"All passengers, both Cambodian and foreign, who are travelling to Cambodia, are admitted to waiting centres for the Covid-19 tests and that they are waiting for results from the Pasteur laboratory," Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in a statement, referring to respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.

The Health Ministry said on Saturday that the last patient with the coronavirus has recovered and left hospital, leaving the South-east Asian country with zero cases.

Cambodia has reported 122 cases of the virus that causes Covid-19 and no deaths from the disease since it emerged in China and started spreading around the world, infecting more than 4.5 million and killing about 300,000 since January.

REUTERS