PHNOM PENH, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia decided to shutter its borders with Vietnam in a bid to curb the spread of the COVID-19, as the confirmed cases in the kingdom have increased to 37.
"In the spirit of friendship and mutual understanding with regard to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, Cambodia wishes to request Vietnamese authorities to inform Vietnamese nationals not to travel to Cambodia by land, water way and air during the active period of Vietnam's travel restrictions, which took effect from 00h00 of 18 March 2020," said a Cambodian foreign ministry's letter.
The letter, dated Wednesday and released to the media on Thursday, was sent to the Vietnamese authorities through the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh.
The letter said the above request was made to avoid inconvenience at the two countries' border checkpoints, in light of the recent spike of confirmed cases of COVID-19, while Vietnam had imposed travel restrictions requiring 14-day mass quarantine and self-quarantine of all travelers from ASEAN countries, including Vietnamese who return home.
"Entry by Vietnamese nationals into Cambodia and Cambodian nationals into Vietnam by land, water way and air will be temporarily suspended, effective from 23h59 of 20 March 2020," read the letter. "This measure is primarily intended to avert the inconvenience of quarantine requirement for both Vietnamese and Cambodian nationals who travel to Vietnam from Cambodia."
The above measure does not apply to Vietnamese and Cambodian holders of diplomatic and official passports.
According to the letter, Cambodia proposes that the local authorities of two countries work together to facilitate and ensure that the transport of goods across the common border can be carried out without disruption.
