Phnom Penh has been at the center of the recent Covid-19 outbreak, reporting more than 2,000 cases in the past week, according to Phnom Penh City Hall data. The outbreak has spread rapidly through the city’s markets and factories — leading to the country’s first lockdown and the creation of “red zones.”
The worst-hit districts have been Meanchey, Pur Senchey and Toul Kork, where some communes and villages have been designated as red zones starting earlier this week. Residents there are banned from leaving their houses except for medical emergencies.
Districts away from the epicenter of the outbreak, like Prek Pnov, Chbar Ampov and Kambol, have had relatively few cases, while in central Phnom Penh, Prampi Makara has seen transmissions linked to the popular O’Russei Market. Daun Penh and Chamkarmon also had a small spike in cases on Thursday.
The following graphs show the progression of the outbreak in recent weeks and highlights the number of cases in each district over the past seven days.
Phnom Penh City Hall data illustrates how the recent outbreak has spread through the capital’s congested markets and factories. At least 27 markets have reported Covid-19 infections since April 9, with Doeum Kor, O’Russei, Neak Meas and Olympic markets frequently linked to cases.
And at least 120 factories, not only garment and footwear firms, have been linked to Covid-19 over the past two weeks, according to a count of daily lists put out by City Hall. While Din Han Enterprise in Meanchey district was one of the early hotspots, other factories like Dilux, Fortuna and Sing Garments have also been named.
Till the “February 20” cluster, Cambodia had reported little more than 500 infections since its first case in January 2020. But since then, the country has seen more than 7,600 cases in just two months, leading to lockdowns in various provinces, a travel ban and a slew of measures to control the spread of infections.
