Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen attends a press conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on March 30, 2020. Hun Sen said on Monday that the government has finalized a draft law on putting the country in a state of emergency in response to the spread of the COVID-19. (Photo by Li Lay/Xinhua)
PHNOM PENH, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Monday that the government has finalized a draft law on putting the country in a state of emergency in response to the spread of the COVID-19.
"Now, the draft law has been already completed," he said during a press conference on the latest measures on anti-COVID-19 pandemic here.
He added that he would lead a top-level meeting on Tuesday to review the draft bill before putting it forward to the Cabinet meeting on Friday for approval.
Hun Sen said the draft law will state a number of measures including imposing curfews, preventing mass gatherings, and locking down public areas or private locations, among others.
"I'd like to appeal to the people not to worry about this law, and I don't want to use it, just want it in place," he said. "Only the situation is out of control, will we use this law to declare the country in a state of emergency with a certain period of time."
The draft law would need to be adopted by the National Assembly and finally reviewed by the Senate before being submitted to the king for promulgation.
At the press conference, Hun Sen also ordered the temporary closures of all casinos in the kingdom, taking effect from April 1 at midnight.
He also banned the exports of white rice and unhusked rice, effective from April 5, in order to reserve them for local consumption during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Southeast Asian country has so far recorded a total of 107 confirmed cases of the virus, according to a Ministry of Health's statement on Monday, adding that 23 of them have recovered.
On Saturday, the kingdom decided to impose temporary entry restrictions for all foreign travelers for one month in order to stem the virus spread.
Earlier this month, the country also ordered the temporary closures of all schools, karaoke clubs, night clubs, cinemas, and museums nationwide, as religious gatherings and concerts were prohibited.
