Cambodia closes border with Vietnam over coronavirus cases

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Cambodia is temporarily closing its border with Vietnam due to rising cases of the coronavirus, local media reported on Wednesday.

The one-month closure, set to start on Saturday, will include the cross-border travel of skilled workers, technical experts and staff of Vietnamese firms, while patients seeking medical treatment in Vietnam, diplomats, on-duty civil servants, and students and trainees who are graduating or have received special permission from the Cambodia will be exempt, reported the state-run Agence Kampuchea Presse.

The ministry said the step was taken to "prevent the import of COVID-19 cases in the country," added the news agency, citing a letter from the Southeast Asian country's Foreign Ministry to its embassy in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

Cambodia reported 915 more coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, taking nationwide total to 63,615 cases, while deaths number at 986 since the outbreak began.

The Southeast Asian nation is also running an intense vaccination campaign with more than five million people of the targeted 10 million having received jabs.

Meanwhile, Vietnam reported 905 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday morning.

The Health Ministry has so far reported 35,409 cases, including 132 deaths.

Hanoi is witnessing a rise in cases, with authorities setting up 22 checkpoints to stem the spread of infection.

More than four million people in Vietnam have received at least one dose of a vaccine against COVID-19, while 283,884 have gotten the full two doses.