The tiny southeast Asean country of Cambodia is providing the first glimpse of what the ‘new normal’ for international travel in the age of COVID-19 is likely to look like, particularly for those wishing to enter countries least able to afford the cost of treating a never ending stream of imported cases amongst non-citizens.
In a letter dated June 8 and released to the media on June 9, Cambodian Minister for Economy and Finance, Aun Pornmoniroth, detailed the changes for those entering the kingdom, with the focus very much on providing the maximum health and financial security possible.
While the Cambodian government has previously born the costs of screening arriving passengers and the medical treatment for those who test positive after arriving from abroad, the new regulations signal that it is no longer prepared to continue shouldering such costs. To date the majority of Cambodia’s 126 COVID-19 cases have been imported by foreigners.
