We will soon find out whether lockdown restrictions will end and everything will go back to normal this evening.
For months now we have been protecting each other by stopping any “high-risk” activities that include bans on alcohol sales, clubs, swimming pools, cinemas, gyms, playgrounds and, of course, no gatherings of more than 15 people. But as the numbers of Covid-19 infected people dwindle and vaccinating 95 percent of the adult population of the Kingdom, which equates to 9,532,944 out of the total targeted 10 million people, will the restrictions be lifted tonight?
Adam Demos, general manager of Orphic Lounge on Riverside, told Khmer Times yesterday: “With us closing Orphic for over two months now, we are very hopeful that the news will come that the lockdown restrictions have been lifted and everyone can go back to normal.
“It has been a year and a half since the community event outbreak had a major effect on Cambodia and with Orphic being only open eight out of those 18 we are very much looking forward to welcoming our staff [who have been at home with no salary] and customers back to our bar.”
A restaurant owner in the Daun Penh area who wishes to remain anonymous told Khmer Times: “Hopefully this will be the end of the restrictions now. If the alcohol ban ends… it will give everyone fresh hope and opportunity to survive, not just businesses that have managed to circumvent the restrictions.”
It seems like the hospitality industry isn’t the only sector to be affected by the lockdown restrictions with some businesses even installing new standard operating procedures (SOPs) following on from the restrictions being lifted to continue to operate business in the safest possible way.
David Richard, manager of Khmer Dive Group told Khmer Times: “Due to the restrictions, the Dive Centre took extra precautions as the government advised. We created smaller dive groups often with friends who had been socially bubbled for safety. At the beginning this was difficult. However, we are all used to it as well as the customers. Dive trips are all up and running again with a few slight changes to the way we operate.
“Even with the lockdown restrictions being lifted we would still operate the same way to ensure ongoing safety. Due to the ever changing nature of Covid-19 we will be airing on the side of caution for the foreseeable future.”
As of yesterday, there were a total of 105,344 infections with 98,186 people recovered. A total of 25 nationalities have been identified with the disease in Cambodia.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
