Cambodia bans media coverage from COVID-19 lockdown ‘red zones’

Cambodia on Tuesday (May 4) ordered journalists to stop reporting from blockaded COVID-19 “red zones” and from chasing ambulances as the country battles against a record surge in infections.

The country has seen COVID-19 cases surge since February, when an outbreak was first detected among its Chinese expatriate community.

On Tuesday, officials announced a record 938 new infections, bringing the total cases to 16,299 with 107 deaths.

Authorities have transformed schools and wedding party halls into COVID-19 treatment centres as hospitals are running out of beds and Prime Minister Hun Sen warned the country was “on the brink of death” from the virus outbreak.

Phnom Penh and adjacent city Ta Khmau have been under lockdown for 20 days and the government has announced the blanket would end from Thursday.