March 4, 2021
Authorities stand at attention outside a Phnom Penh quarantine center in February 2021. (Phnom Penh Police Facebook)

Covid-19 Positive Patient’s Death in Quarantine ‘Due to Drug Overdose’

A Chinese man with Covid-19 died in quarantine in Phnom Penh on Thursday, the Health Ministry said, but ruled his death “due to drug overdose” after an autopsy. In a Facebook post, the ministry further clarified that “there was no drug use” and the death was caused by serious withdrawal symptoms and not Covid-19.

Near empty streets in Sihanoukville on March 4, 2021 as the Preah Sihanouk provincial administration announced a ban on travel in and out of the province following a rise in Covid-19 cases. (Preah Sihanouk provincial administration’s Facebook page)

Travel Banned, Masks Mandatory in Preah Sihanouk Amid Outbreak

Preah Sihanouk suspended transport in and out of the province, while authorities on Thursday extended school closures, and Prime Minister Hun Sen said the “February 20” Covid-19 outbreak could last past Khmer New Year next month.

(ADB/Creative Commons)

Infographic: Cambodia’s Covid-19 Vaccines

Cambodia has rolled out two Covid-19 vaccines, each requiring two doses, with an about 80 percent efficacy rate in trials. From WHO approval to age eligibility and efficacy against new variants, here’s how the Sinopharm and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines compare.

Prime Minister Hun Sen receives a first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at Phnom Penh's Calmette Hospital on March 4, 2021. (AKP)

Hun Sen Vaccinated, Travel Ban Floated for Preah Sihanouk

Prime Minister Hun Sen received the country’s first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Thursday, the morning after calling for either a travel ban or widespread vaccinations in Preah Sihanouk province amid a rise in Covid-19 cases there.