Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered health officials on Tuesday to prepare to treat coronavirus patients at home, as the country’s biggest COVID-19 outbreak so far tests the capacity of its fragile healthcare system.
Cambodia had one of the world’s smallest coronavirus caseloads until six weeks ago, but an outbreak in late February has led to its first 22 COVID-19 deaths and a five-fold jump in cases to 2,824.
A total of 1,794 patients are currently being treated in hospitals that are near capacity, Hun Sen said in an audio message shared widely on Tuesday and reported by local media.
