Phnom Penh. 3 June 2021: The Phnom Penh Municipal Administration has extended the suspension of some high-risk businesses for a further two weeks. The announcement was made late last night. The extension is until 16 June 2021.

The affected businesses are those that have not yet been allowed to reopen since the Law on Preventative Measures for Covid-19 came into effect in April. These are schools, vocational training centres, nightclubs, bars, and beer gardens, KTVs, resorts, museums, massage businesses, casinos, cinemas, and gyms.

The sale of alcohol can continue, as can dine-in at restaurants and there has been no extension of the curfew, which ended recently. Gatherings are also still permitted, but for no more than 15 people. Those gatherings must also abide by the Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 preventative measures, including QR code scanning, social distancing, temperature checks, hand sanitising, and the wearing of masks.

The extension on the suspension of high-risk businesses comes amid rising Covid-19 case numbers in Phnom Penh and around the country. Just yesterday, a total of 750 new cases were reported across the country, along with 10 deaths. That is one of the highest daily death tolls since the infamous “February 20 Community Incident”, before which no Covid-19 deaths had been reported in Cambodia.

The Phnom Penh Capital Administration has also warned that if cases do no start to come down, it will consider the suspension of other business activities. Another curfew has also not been ruled out.