National Police Prepared to Curb COVID-19 Spread during Khmer New Year

National Police Prepared to Curb COVID-19 Spread during Khmer New Year

General Commissariat of National Police has instructed its officers to be ready to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic during the celebration of Khmer New Year, the most important holiday of the year in Cambodia.

In a guideline issued today, General Neth Savoeun, the National Police Chief of Cambodia, set out a number of “necessary: measures that police officers all over the country have to implement to ensure “order and stability” during Khmer New Years, from assigning officers on petrol to combat crimes to controlling the traffics, as many people tend to leave the city for their home to spend the holiday with their family.

Meanwhile, General Savoeun also orders his officers to take certain actions to prevent the spread of the notorious COVID-19, which by today has seen 114 cases in the kingdom. Those also include the prohibition of public gathering and celebration, except for the small ones held by individual families at their houses.

“Officers have to be assigned to patrol, monitor or be stationed in necessary cases to prevent the public gathering,” he said.

Although it is a Buddhist tradition for people to go to the pagoda to pray and bring food to monks, gathering at all types of monasteries and temples will also be forbidden, according to the instruction.

General Savoeun also commanded the local police to work with the local authorities to keep track and monitor the health of the immigrant workers who have returned to Cambodia and act in accordance with the Health Ministry’s directory on COVID-19 immediately whenever they identify a suspected case.

“All the force shall increase their cooperation with the authorities and relevant institution to meet with every request from the National Committee for Combatting COVID-19, especially stationing defense force at prioritized targets, such health centers, provincial hospitals, hospital and quarantine places designated by all level of the Committee National Committee for Combatting COVID-19,” he added.