PHNOM PENH, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Wednesday required people in capital Phnom Penh and four other provinces to wear face masks in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Phnom Penh Municipality, Preah Sihanouk, Kandal, Prey Veng and Siem Reap provinces have been determined as the high-risk COVID-19 areas of infections after the country suffered from the third wave of community COVID-19 outbreak starting Feb. 20, Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in a statement.
"Requirements for wearing face masks and keeping a physical distancing (of 1.5 meters from each other) must be implemented from now on until further notice," he said.
The minister instructed local authorities in the above-mentioned areas to take action to ensure the effective implementation of the requirements.
The move came after Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on March 12 issued a sub-decree requiring people to wear face masks at locations alerted by the Ministry of Health (MoH) as high-risk COVID-19 areas.
According to the sub-decree, first-time violators will be issued a warning, and repeat offenders will be fined between 50 and 250 U.S. dollars.
At least 1,293 people have been infected in the third wave of outbreak in the country. In a bid to stem the virus, the kingdom has closed down all schools, sports facilities, museums, cinemas, and entertainment venues.
Cambodia has registered a total of 1,817 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with five deaths and 1,033 recoveries, the MoH said.
The country has launched an anti-COVID-19 vaccination drive with China's Sinopharm vaccine since Feb. 10 and with Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine since March 4.
As of Tuesday, 334,311 people in priority groups had been vaccinated against the virus, according to a government report. Enditem