Phnom Penh's markets have been shut down to curb a spike in market-linked coronavirus cases, but residents are pleading for food assistance from the government as workers in the Cambodian capital are unsure when they will get back to their jobs.
Market-Linked Clusters Drive Strict Measures
On Friday, the Phnom Penh City Hall announced the closure of all markets across the capital through May 7, marking one of the strictest measures in the country since the pandemic started.
Vendors and market guards have also been urged by the local government to get tested for potential COVID-19 infection as markets across Phnom Penh have been experiencing an increase in daily cases.
However, the two-week lockdown, including the closure of markets, has triggered a crisis in food supplies for families.
Thorn Meng, whose family makes up of five people, said he is seeking "immediate assistance in the form of essential daily food." Meng lost his job when the factory he worked for had to close.
The Phnom Penh City Hall's official Facebook page said it has provided essential food packs to thousands of families in the capital. The food packs included soy sauce, fish sauce, canned fish, and 25kg of rice.
Weekend Spike in Initially Less Affected Country
Early in the pandemic, Cambodia was recognized for its efforts in curbing daily new COVID-19 cases. It was one of the least affected Southeast Asian countries a year ago.
Over the past few weeks, the country has seen an alarming spike in daily infections. On Sunday, the government announced 616 new confirmed coronavirus cases. As with the past week, Phnom Penh made up for the larger count of the infections.
It remains to be seen whether the local government will extend the lockdown should daily cases continue increasing throughout the end of the month.
It is expected that Monday's log will hit a new record-high as there were already 500 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country as of late Sunday.
Cambodia has started reopening tourism sites in a bid to help the economy recover. However, the government and health system has yet to flatten the curve in the latest wave that drove Phnom Penh's lockdown.
As of Sunday, the Cambodian Ministry of Health reported a total of 9,975 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 74 deaths linked to the disease.
Necessary Measures or Human Rights Violation?
Meanwhile, some activists and human rights advocates have questioned the government's move of announcing a new law that could put COVID-19 rules violators behind bars for up to two decades.
Under the new law, residents who get convicted of breaking coronavirus measures can be fined up to $5,000 and prison terms depending on the violation.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said the country is "on the brink of death already" after police setup barricades across Phnom Penh to prevent domestic travel over the Khmer New Year.
Executive director at the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, Sopheap Chak, said the new law entailed "ill-defined offenses" were threatening the "critical and dissenting voices in Cambodia."
