Sangkran events are canceled across the city and residents should gather only within households and avoid splashing water or lighting firecrackers as part of celebrations, Phnom Penh City Hall said on Monday, further tightening Khmer New Year public health measures.
The Health Ministry is discouraging people from traveling to high-risk Covid-19 areas during the Khmer New Year and suggests reducing gatherings, drinking, dancing and singing, stopping short of banning festivities amid the country’s worst coronavirus outbreak to date.
The government stopped short of postponing the Khmer New Year holidays amid the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, announcing that businesses can choose to delay the three-day Khmer New Year holidays until Pchum Ben or another time later in the year but government offices would be closed April 14-16.
Before the Khmer New Year holiday — which was rescheduled for next week and typically sees millions travel around the country — the government is urging drivers and travelers alike to take basic health precautions before hitting the road.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said garment workers who are suspended due to Covid-19 disruptions would receive an even smaller partial salary than he originally announced, while also postponing the Khmer New Year holiday and claiming that the “safest place” amid the pandemic was at work.
While the government has not reported a new Covid-19 case in three days, the global pandemic promises to alter traditional Khmer New Year festivities next week, with religious and most public gatherings banned and police tasked with preventing large assemblies of people.
Almost 12 people died due to traffic accidents on average over each of the five days of the Khmer New Year break from April 13 to 17, according to police.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has vowed to fight corruption in his message for the coming Khmer New Year, once again calling on his government to “take a bath” and even “conduct surgery” to stamp out rampant graft.
A group of young people hoping to celebrate the Khmer New Year by cleaning up Phnom Penh’s heavily polluted Beoung Trabek canal and raise awareness for the environment were stopped by local authorities who said the area was too dirty.
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