Stung Treng: While Phnom Penh struggles to contain the Delta variant of Covid-19, officials in Stung Treng have decided to place the provincial capital, Stung Treng City, in lockdown until further notice. Nine new delta cases have been detected there.

The decision to lockdown the provincial capital came into effect at midnight on Tuesday and was announced a few hours earlier by Stung Treng Governor, Mam Saroeun. It is in effect “until further notice”. All but essential travel is banned in the city, which was already under a 9pm-3am curfew.

The delta cases were confirmed by the Institut Pasteur in samples collected between 11-13 August. They are in addition to the seven Delta cases confirmed on Tuesday night by the Director of the Provincial Health Department, Dr. Ong Soviet. He says residents must be more consistent and responsible when it comes to the implementation of preventative measures to avoid any further spread of the variant in the community.

Across Stung Treng province, a total of 19 Delta cases have been detected in recent days. The province does not share a border with Thailand, but does so with Laos. A mask mandate has been declared for the province by the Ministry of Health.