Cambodia lifts travel ban on Omicron-hit African countries
Cambodia on December 5 removed its ban on travellers from 10 African countries after a nearly one-week suspension due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, according to Health Minister Mam Bunheng.
Market guards inspect a shopper's COVID-19 vaccination card at an entrance in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in October 2021. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Phnom Penh (VNA) – Cambodia on December 5 removed itsban on travellers from 10 African countries after a nearly one-week suspensiondue to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, according to Health Minister MamBunheng.
With the approval from Cambodian Prime Minister SamdechTecho Hun Sen, the Ministry of Health (MoH) decided to lift the ban ontravelers from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa,Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola and Zambia, he said, adding that the ban removal tookeffect immediately.
But the travelers from the 10 countries and those who have ahistory of traveling to the 10 countries in the last two weeks must undergo arapid test for COVID-19 upon their arrival in Cambodia, he said.
"If the result is negative, they must go into aseven-day quarantine and then take a PCR test on the sixth day of thequarantine," the minister said.
Fully vaccinated travelers must show a medical certificatecertifying that they have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior totheir arrival in Cambodia, he said, adding that unvaccinated passengers will berequired to undergo a full 14-day quarantine.
The reversal came after UN Secretary-General AntonioGuterres said on November 29 that he was deeply concerned about the isolationof southern African countries due to the Omicron variant travel restrictions./.
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Market guards inspect a shopper's COVID-19 vaccination card at an entrance in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in October 2021. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
