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‘Kingdom to reopen no earlier than November’ say sources

Husain Haider / Khmer Times Share:
A rock concert that drew thousands of attendees in March last year, the very day the first case of Coronavirus was reported in Cambodia. Sources familiar with the matter say the Kingdom will probably remain closed until November at the earliest and public events will remain banned for the foreseeable future. KT/Husain Haider

Cambodia will probably reopen between November and early next year, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Having already successfully executed what some consider to be one of the most successful vaccination efforts in the world with official figures stating that more than 100 percent of the capital’s population has been inoculated, the government is now working towards achieving similar results in the rest of the country.

“The government is prioritising safety over the economy,” an individual familiar with the matter told Khmer Times under the condition of anonymity. “The problem is that, without tourism, the economy is going to dry up because locals do not have the same money as people coming in from outside the country.”

The source stressed that while the government is optimistically eying a reopening by November, a more reasonable expectation is for some time in December or early 2022.

Some members of the business community – particularly those in the hospitality sector – however, have stressed that Phnom Penh is able to leverage its strong vaccination record to institute small travel bubbles or at least ease quarantine for vaccinated individuals.  “We have done such a great job of vaccinating everyone in Phnom Penh and I hope that people understand that there should be a payoff for that,” a leading hotelier told Khmer Times under the condition of anonymity. “Small businesses have already closed down and those that remain open do not see a path ahead.It’s time for a proper reopening plan that broadly includes Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh, otherwise you have to wonder what the point of it all was.”

Official Health Ministry figures indicate that more than 100 percent of the capital has been vaccinated, leaving some to speculate that Phnom Penh is the ideal location for the country’s first travel bubble.

Anthony Galliano, president of the American Chamber of Commerce, said while the Kingdom may be in an “excellent position to reopen”, neighbouring countries and most of ASEAN is not.  “The infrastructure for air traffic needs to be resurrected as a majority of international flights are experiencing persistent cancellations and, more importantly, a format and policy for vaccinated travel needs should be globally, if not regionally, implemented. The lingering concerns are just how much longer can the economy sustain the downturn and when can the country leverage and optimise its competitive advantage as the one of the region’s best vaccinated,” said Galliano, who is also group chief executive officer for Cambodian Investment Management Co Ltd.  “Progressive steps recommended by the industry’s bodies can be gradually implemented. These include quarantine at home for vaccinated residents, allowing in vaccinated business travellers who test negative, greatly reducing the quarantine period and contained, segregated zones, such as [for] gambling in Sihanoukville for vaccinated tourists,” he continued.

The Kingdom has employed what some experts refer to as a zero-Covid policy. “A zero-Covid approach has… had economic benefits so far. Keeping caseloads to a consistently minimal level has allowed governments to move more decisively away from stringent social restrictions, boosting the confidence of consumers and providing certainty to businesses. Domestic tourism spending, where possible, has surged, helping to cushion the loss of revenue from international arrivals. Factories have remained open, allowing them to cater to global demand,” the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) said in a recent white paper.

However, the Kingdom has not seen the same economic benefits as other countries that have instituted the policy. Consumer confidence has slipped, domestic tourism has not made up for the loss in international visitors, factories were closed for a substantial period of time before and after April’s lockdowns and were only allowed to reopen after certain vaccination thresholds were met. Cambodia has already undergone a period of curfews, extended lockdowns and has urged the public to scan quick response codes to help trace Coronavirus cases. The government has announced it would temporarily close borders with neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam.

The Kingdom also requires that incoming travellers spend two weeks supervised in quarantine facilities – meeting the criteria for the EIU’s definition of zero-Covid policies.

Galliano said the government “has executed one of the best pandemic containment strategies, in parallel with the one of the most globally expeditious vaccination programmes, an absolute unique success story in minimisation of deaths, ensuring population safety and preparation as a first starter to reopen. Although the Kingdom may be in an excellent position to reopen, surrounding neighbours and most of ASEAN are not.”

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