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Cambodia Rural Clinics Adopt Travel-based COVID-19 Test Strategy

Kong Meta

   TAKEO PROVINCE, CAMBODIA - The Samraung Health Center in the Bati
   district of Takeo province is tucked behind an Acleda Bank branch and
   opposite the local school.'¯

   Sitting alone in one of the rooms, Yeu Chhengly is busy on his phone.
   He runs the health center where to be tested for COVID-19, a person
   with symptoms must also have a travel history suggesting the likelihood
   of exposure to the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus
   believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, late last year.

   This approach is being applied to the nearly 90,000 Cambodian migrant
   workers who have returned from Thailand, South Korea and Malaysia since
   March to celebrate the three-day Cambodian New Year that began April 14
   or to avoid COVID-19 travel restrictions.

   All of these workers were placed in isolation at home, with the
   Ministry of Health reporting that only 410 returnees were tested for
   the virus, all returning negative. Unlike many other countries,
   Cambodia has enough test kits to last until September, according to
   officials who anticipate availability will increase as global
   production ramps up.

   Provincial travel by about 30,000 local garment workers is also being
   used to flag potential COVID-19 cases. The government canceled the
   annual Khmer New Year holidays in mid-April because of concerns garment
   workers from Phnom Penh would travel to the provinces, potentially
   spreading the virus.

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