Cambodia bans visitors from 5 countries in bid to curb COVID-19 spread

Cambodia on Saturday announced restrictions on visitors from five countries for a month in a bid to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.

"The Ministry of Health decided to temporarily ban foreigners from Italy, Germany, Spain, France and the United States from entering Cambodia for 30 days," Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in a statement.

He said the restrictions will take effect from March 17 at midnight.

The minister said the measure came after recently, Cambodia has subsequently detected COVID-19 cases on foreigners from several countries.

He said the World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic and the virus is currently present in more than 110 countries and regions.

To date, Cambodia has recorded a total of seven COVID-19 patients, including a Chinese man, a Cambodian man, three British nationals, a Canadian man, and a Belgian man.

The Chinese patient had recovered and returned to China, as the Cambodian victim is receiving treatment at the Siem Reap provincial hospital, and the rest are being treated at hospitals in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia.