Successfully Addressing COVID-19 in Cambodia
on February 11, 2021 COVID-19

TACOMA, Washington — As COVID-19 continues to ravage the globe and turn economies and healthcare upside down, the level of stability in systems of government around the world are being exposed— whether sturdy or fragile. Cambodia is one of the countries that has shown success in addressing COVID-19 in Cambodia, despite being known to have a weaker healthcare system and fewer resources than many other countries.

While Cambodia has found success in controlling the outbreak of the virus, the developing COVID-19 crisis has and will continue to affect the entire population of Cambodia. Not only in the health sector but in education, tourism, trade and finance as well. This causes unique challenges for the country regarding Cambodia’s already problematic loan crisis, returning migrants from Thailand and its vital garment industry. Although poverty is expected to increase from 13.5% in 2014 to 20% during the pandemic, many measures have been put into place to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 along with its social and economic ramifications.

On November 19, 2020, Cambodia reported only 304 confirmed cases, with 291 recovered and zero deaths. One of the many key factors responsible for this is prioritized funding. A National Master Plan initiated a budget of $62 million to combat the virus.

In addition, Cambodia’s Prime Minister HE announced to donate seven months of his salary (roughly $17,500) along with several other government officials who have pledged to donate.

Targeted testing, extensive contact tracing and the training of 2,900 health care workers as early as January and February 2020, also helped. Government control plays a role as well, the passing of a state of emergency law has allowed unlimited telecommunications surveillance and restrictions on freedom of movement. Cambodia’s experience with SARS back in 2003 and the avian flu between 2004 and 2010 are also considerable factors regarding Cambodia’s success in combating the virus.
COVID-19 is Exposing Cambodia’s Loan Crisis

Roughly 2.6 million Cambodians with limited access to traditional banking have resorted to joining licensed microfinance institutions, a system Cambodians have relied on even before the COVID-19 outbreak. With the average yearly income being only $1,700, borrowers have created a total debt of $10 billion in 2019 alone, making the average loan about $3,804 per person — the highest amount in the world, according to the local rights group, Licadho. Poorer rural areas are targeted the most by these institutions as they lack law enforcement and have little regulatory vigilance.

With COVID-19 bruising the economy, the amount of debt has only increased as Cambodians require the funds to be self-sustained. In reaction, human rights groups have asked the government to freeze repayments as well as demand that lenders return more than one million land titles held as collateral. This has restructured loans for around 270,000 citizens as a way to help cope with the economic fallout of COVID-19 in Cambodia.
More:
The Plight of Returning Migrant Workers
https://www.borgenmagazine.com/addressi ... -cambodia/

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 9:19 pm In addition, Cambodia’s Prime Minister HE announced to donate seven months of his salary (roughly $17,500)

i would lol, but it's beyond a joke

he could donate 10x that just by selling a couple of his watches
that we're led to believe were gifted to him anyway (and no doubt he paid beneficiary tax on . . .)

Hmm. What have they actually done? Closed the schools and forced children to wear masks at school even though children are not affected by the virus. Used the climate of fear to take land without compensation. Destroyed the tourist industry by imposing quarantine and $2000 payments. Apart from that nothing. No lockdowns, no social distancing, no compulsory masks. Their main achievement is in showing the rest of the world how ineffective these measures are.

Exactly, they've done nothing. The only good thing was the quarantine, but that was enacted very late (too late to prevent any importing of the virus). A year ago myself and many others said that no one would die of this here, and one year later here we are (yes, I'm saying "I told you so"). No one has "officially" died given the young population and lack of testing. Meanwhile, I still see kids riding with no helmets but a mask... Around 2k traffic deaths per year. Can't make this shot up.

And how can the PM survive by donating his salary?! Do his children support him or something?

Always nice when journalists follow the official narrative while googling their story together.

February 15, 2021
Call to promote Westerdam anniversary as tourism draw

The Ministry of Tourism has appealed to tourist operators to promote the anniversary of the MS Westerdam docking in Sihanoukville to attract tourists to visit Cambodia under the campaign theme: “Cambodia: One of the safest countries to visit during the COVID-19 crisis.”
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50813937/c ... rism-draw/

jah steu wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 9:40 pm

GMJS-CEO wrote:
Many will agree that the numbers of ill and deceased are grossly underreported here.

And many won’t. If a single clinic or hospital in the entire country had a very seriously ill person coughing and gasping on the verge of death do you honestly think that it wouldn’t end up as a video on local social media here? The Khmers are obsessed with videoing any kind of drama, accident, fight etc and posting it immediately.
I’m not aware of a single case in the last year of any videos like this. Are you?
Various articles are beginning to appear in the western press acknowledging that there seems to be very few cases of covid in Cambodia, and offering reasons why.
You don’t think it’s possible that actually there are very few cases here?


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I believe that the cases are being underreported and many not even being tested. I already referenced the stories where people leaving Cambodia somehow had it upon entry into another country, obviously some/most of them contracted it in Cambodia and it was spreading in the community.

When numerous 30-40 year olds die of "heart attacks" perhaps the numbers and cause of death reported are not to be trusted?