The Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh advises the Filipino Community in Cambodia to take the necessary precautions against the Novel Coronavirus (2019 - nCoV), though there has been no confirmed case in Cambodia and the World Health Organization has not declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
We recommend the following be done to minimize the risk of exposure:
- Clean hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub before eating, when preparing food, when caring for the sick, after toilet use, after handling animals or animal waste.
- Cover nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or flexed elbow;
- Avoid close contact with anyone that has cold or flu-like symptoms;
- Thoroughly cook eggs and meat; and
- No unprotected contact with live wild or farm animals.
To date, there have been 581 transmission cases, with 571 in China, four in Thailand, one in Japan, one in South Korea, one in The United States, one in Taiwan, one in Macau, one in Hong Kong, and one in Singapore. Seventeen (17) people have died in China while 30 patients have fully recovered.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has recently advised the public to be on high alert because this virus can be transmitted from one person to another. Thus, the MOH has installed thermal scanners at the international airports in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, and Siem Reap as well as at border crossings in Poipet, Bavet, and Prek Chak in Kampot.
Common symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and shortness of breath. If one feels unwell and has a fever of about 38 degrees Celsius, please call MOH’s hotline number at 115, especially if one has traveled to China or had contact with people who had respiratory diseases or with sick animals in the period of 14 days before the symptoms emerged.
For more information, the MOH may be contacted through the following numbers, in addition to the 115 hotline:
• 012 825 424 – Dr. Ly Sovann
• 012 488 981 – Dr. Yi Sengdouern
• 012 836 868 – Dr. Keng Srey
