Cambodia is in the grip of its worst outbreak of the coronavirus since the pandemic began more than a year ago, and it is going on the verge of a “national tragedy”.
In less than a week, Cambodia has recorded more than 3,000 cases of the virus. As of Monday, 79people had died. Why Cambodia Hard to curb the covid-19 outbreak?
1. “bad governance”
“bad governance” was a factor in the worsening outbreak, which is responsible for all of Cambodia’s more than 30 virus-related fatalities and has pushed the total number of cases in the country to more than 4,500 ones.At least 50 people who tested positive for COVID-19 gave false information about their address, leaving authorities unable to locate them.
Causing further alarm, the virus has spread into the garment industry, which provides work to millions of people and is a crucial part of the economy. So far, at least 50 infections have been detected at Din Han factory in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital and advocates fear that more workers are vulnerable.
May Sopheaktra, the secretary-general of President of Cambodian Alliance of Trade Union (CATU), says workers themselves were increasingly concerned about the risk.Sopheaktra added there was insufficient monitoring within factories to guarantee workers were following COVID-19 guidelines, such as social distancing.“The garment industry is not closely monitored,” he said, adding digital thermometers in use at sites appeared to be faulty.
2. Transportation
Transportation is also a major concern, he said. Factories employ thousands of staff, largely women, from poor rural areas. Many travel to and from work in tightly packed trucks. While the trucks are open to the air, they are packed with passengers. Millions make a living from the garment industry but civil society advocates worry workers are at risk from the disease because there is little monitoring of physical distancing including during the journey to work.
Other hotspots include several local markets, which are also densely packed with traders and customers from across the country.Dr Michael Kinzer, the programme director at the Division of Global Health Protection (DGHP) for CDC Cambodia, said such areas were high-risk.
Via: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/15/uk-covid-variant-pushes-cambodia-to-brink-of-national-tragedy
