Banteay Meanchey: Healthcare workers along the Thai border have gone into overdrive, as they take care of thousands of migrant workers who have returned to the country in the past five days. Border crossings were reopened on Friday of last week, on the orders of Prime Minister Hun Sen, with migrant workers having been effectively stranded in makeshift camps along the border.

Thousands of Cambodians have since crossed back into the kingdom, and many of them are Covid-19 positive. Estimates in Oddar Meanchey on Monday put the infection rate at about 20%. Worst hit by the surge has been Banteay Meanchey though, which reported 348 new Covid-19 cases late Monday. Battambang’s provincial deputy governor, Soeum Bunrith, says 881 migrant workers have returned from Thailand in just the past three days, with 71 found to have Covid.

It is not yet known how many of these people have the Delta variant, with blood tests needed to confirm its presence, but the border provinces are not taking any chances. Returning workers are being immediately quarantined and tested. Those with the Delta variant are being treated separately. Those with direct or indirect contact with Delta patients are having to quarantine for 21 days. Siem Reap has also reimposed provincial border checkpoints. All people entering the province at its three main entry points must scan a QR code and have their temperatures checked before being allowed in.