PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodia is shutting its most popular tourist destination, the centuries-old Angkor temple complex, to visitors for two weeks to help curb the nation’s coronavirus outbreak.
The closing of the world-famous site is the latest in a slew of measures the nation is taking after the number of coronavirus cases surged in February.
The Apsara Authority, the government agency that oversees the archaeological site, mentioned that temporarily stopping local and overseas tourists from visiting the temples is essential to assist fight the virus. It mentioned in a statement dated Wednesday that guests are banned from April 7 by April 20.
The Angkor site, within the northwestern province of Siem Reap, attracted 2.2 million overseas tourists in 2019 but experienced a sharp falloff last yr due to disruptions caused by the pandemic. Cambodia allows tourists, however, they must undergo a quarantine.
The Health Ministry on Thursday mentioned 113 new local cases of the coronavirus and two deaths. Cambodia has recorded a total of 3,028 cases, including 23 deaths.
The ministry has traced the latest outbreak to an international resident who broke quarantine in a hotel and went to a nightclub in early February. The government on Feb. 20 announced the planned two-week closure of all public schools, cinemas, bars, and entertainment venues within the capital, Phnom Penh.
As the number of cases rose, closures were prolonged throughout the nation for schools, gyms, concert halls, museums, and other gathering places.
A defunct luxurious lodge within the capital has been converted into a 500-room coronavirus hospital, and the authorities are enforcing a new law imposing criminal punishment for violating health guidelines.
The use of face masks was made necessary in Phnom Penh and four of the nation’s most densely populated provinces.
The government stepped up other restrictions at the start of this month, including a two-week, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in Phnom Penh.
It also broadened its coronavirus vaccination campaign, targeting 1 million doses a month beginning in April. By the end of March, about 400,000 individuals — about one-third of the members of the armed forces — had received vaccinations.
By the end of March, Cambodia had acquired more than 3.1 million doses of vaccines from China and through the World, Health Organization’s COVAX initiative. Cambodia has a population of about 17 million.
Prime Minister Hun Sen mentioned this week on his social media channels that vaccinations are voluntary, but that civil servants and members of the navy would be at risk of being dismissed if they fail to be inoculated.