"Mandatory quarantine to help prevent coronavirus spread", 17 April 2020

PHNOM Penh City Hall is ready to quarantine more than 15,000 garment workers who are returning to the capital from their home provinces after Khmer New Year in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

A City Hall statement said ... 37 schools, with 699 rooms have been prepared to quarantine the workers.

It said 15,726 workers from 672 factories will have to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine following a directive from the Health Ministry.

Health Minister Mam Bun Heng ... requested the Labour Ministry to ensure that garment workers who return to the capital from their home provinces are put in quarantine for 14 days ...

In a letter sent to Labour Minister Ith Samheng, Mr Bun Heng said this would help prevent coronavirus from spreading to communities in case some of the workers had been infected while celebrating Khmer New Year in the provinces.

... Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hun Sen ... appealed to workers to take care of their health and avoid contracting the virus by wearing face masks and washing their hands regularly...

Ministry spokesman Heng Sour recently said more than 90 percent of garment workers went to work as usual...

“Workers who missed work during New Year to go back to provinces will be put in quarantine ...,” he said. “They will not be paid any wages during the quarantine period if they were absent without permission from their company.”

... Far Saly, National Trade Unions Coalition president, ... thanked garment workers who followed the government’s directive to work as usual during the New Year...