MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 Intelligent . In-depth . Independent Issue Number 3611 / 4000 RIEL CAMBODIA SEEKS UK ENVOY COMMITS UN CONDEMNS 5M DOSES OF COVID TO STRONGER TRADE MYANMAR JUNTA VACCINE FROM INDIA TIES WITH KINGDOM AFTER TWO KILLED NATIONAL – page 3 BUSINESS – page 6 WORLD – PAGE 9 NBC asks banks, MFIs to delay dividend payouts May Kunmakara tutions and seen by The Post on Febru- “The banking sector remains strong bank’s earnings into [financial work- “We at ABA Bank are well-prepared ary 19, the NBC suggested that they and continues to turn a profit even in ing] capital, supporting the growth of for the development of the situation THE National Bank of Cambodia “suspend dividend payouts from prof- this current economic climate,” it said. its deposit and loan portfolios, which, in the market and will follow the exit (NBC) called for all banks and micro- it after audit and prepare an appropri- Advanced Bank of Asia Ltd (ABA in turn, positively impacts our cus- scenarios introduced by the regula- finance institutions (MFI) to postpone ate ‘exit strategy’ for when the various Bank) chief marketing officer Igor tomers and local economy. tor,” Zimarev said. dividend payouts to shareholders for [relief] measures come to an end”. Zimarev told The Post on February 19 “Based on our strategy, we cur- In Channy, president and group man- 2020 in a move to safeguard the The central bank reassured the that the more detailed specifics of the rently don’t have plans to pay out aging director of ACLEDA Bank Plc, growth, stability and certainty of the Kingdom’s financial leaders by reit- newest measure had not been made dividends to shareholders,” he said. declined to comment on the NBC’s sector against economic disruptions erating that it had “issued many officially available. The Uzbek financial veteran point- notice, but claimed ACLEDA had cooked caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. measures to improve compliance of “We [ABA Bank] don’t pay out divi- ed out that ABA Bank had covered all up a canny strategy to maintain growth. In an announcement addressed to rules and regulations in a manner dends to shareholders. Strategically, bases in its “exit strategy” as recom- the heads of Cambodia’s financial insti- consistent with government policy”. this decision was made to divert the mended by the NBC. CONTINUED – page 6 Community transmission cases rise to 43: ministry Mom Kunthear tilation and physical contact includ- ing shaking hands,” she said. HE Ministry of Health said Vandine urged those involved in 43 people had tested posi- the February 20 Community Event tive for Covid-19 as of Feb- to take a Covid-19 test at the Chak ruary 21, in a third, massive Angre Krom Health Centre in Chak localT transmission which Prime Angre Krom commune of Phnom Minister Hun Sen has dubbed the Penh’s Meanchey district and sub- “February 20 Community Event”. mit to 14-day quarantine. Hun Sen first announced the dis- Meanwhile, health minister Mam covery of the new infections the Bun Heng released on February 20 previous day, referring to it as the a QR code with the slogan “Stop third such outbreak and the largest Covid-19” as part of efforts pur- number ever recorded in a single ported to improve contract tracing Save Willy incident in the country. in light of the outbreak. People try to save short-finned pilot whales beached in Bangkalan, Madura island on Friday, as some 49 pilot whales have died after a mass stranding on the coast of Indonesia’s main island of Java that sparked a major rescue operation. AFP “This is a critical moment for us, at He said the Ministry of Posts and a time when we are striving to fight Telecommunications had developed against Covid-19 imported from Viet- the system which will require mem- nam and Thailand. We have done well bers of the public to scan the QR at the borders, having arrested 31 Code when they travel about, includ- First case of H5N8 avian flu in humans migrant-brokers,” he said during the ing entering and exiting hotels, February 20 televised address. guesthouses, restaurants, pubs, RUSSIA on February 20 said its sci- ed among the birds in December. strain is lethal for birds, it had never In a press release, the ministry noted entertainment venues, apartments entists had detected the world’s first The workers did not suffer any seri- before been reported to have spread that the 43 new cases comprised 41 and condominiums, companies and case of transmission of the H5N8 ous health consequences, she added. to humans. Chinese and two Vietnamese nation- factories, and other situations in strain of avian flu from birds to They are believed to have caught the Popova praised “the important sci- als. Spokeswoman Or Vandine said which crowds will congregate. humans and had alerted the World virus from poultry on the farm. entific discovery”, saying “time will public cooperation will be needed to “This system will record the loca- Health Organisation (WHO). “Information about the world’s first tell” if the virus can further mutate. curb further spread of the virus. tion of the person who logged in In televised remarks, the head of Rus- case of transmission of the [H5N8] “The discovery of these mutations “Our compatriots must abide by and make it easier to conduct con- sia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnad- avian flu to humans has already been when the virus has not still acquired the three preventive measures tract tracing and track down peo- zor, Anna Popova, said scientists at the sent to the World Health Organisa- an ability to transmit from human to including wearing a mask, washing ple if Covid-19 is found at those Vektor laboratory had isolated the tion,” Popova said. human gives us all, the entire world, hands, and keeping 1.5m of physical places,” Bun Heng said. strain’s genetic material from seven There are different subtypes of time to prepare for possible mutations distance. We must avoid crowded workers at a poultry farm in southern avian influenza viruses. places, enclosed areas without ven- CONTINUED – page 2 Russia, where an outbreak was record- While the highly contagious H5N8 CONTINUED – page 8 Don’t miss our New census analysis reveals Special Report drop in domestic migration Inside page 5 2 THE PHNOM PENH POST FEBRUARY 22, 2021 WWW.phnompenhpost.COM National Additional No major closures for ‘Feb 20 event’ provisions Voun Dara ESPITE the detection of an for border outbreak of community transmission of Covid-19 in central Phnom Penh provinces Don February 20, the government has yet to announce school closures or a Continued from page 1 ban on traditional gatherings, though mandatory preventive health mea- Separately on February 21, sures remain in place. Hun Sen announced addition- Prime Minister Hun Sen addressed al provisions for five border the nation that day, stating that the provinces to support their Ministry of Health had detected 32 quarantine facilities. confirmed cases of Covid-19 within a Battambang, Banteay 10-hour period after some visa appli- Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, cants had tested positive. Pailin and Koh Kong provinces “I haven’t issued an order to close will receive thousands of kits down gatherings such as weddings or containing mats, mosquito group meetings. This week I myself nets, blankets and pillows, have to attend programmes at the Min- among other items, as well as istry of Interior and another one for the thousands of cases of drinking grand opening of a hotel. I won’t can- water and instant noodles. cel them. But everyone in attendance Speaking at a press conference has to follow the recommended health about revisions to Sub-decree measures for social distancing and No 129 regarding preventative maintain a distance of at least 1.3m. and responsive health measures “Residents of Phnom Penh must be at international points of entry Students at Bakheng primary school in Phnom Penh’s Chroy Changvar district last month. HONG MENEA very careful. If it isn’t necessary, don’t on February 19, Bun Heng leave the house for now because we’re On February 20, the Ministry of Ed- that following the February 20 com- The ministry told directors, staff declared that the government still doing contact tracing. Club N8 ucation, Youth and Sport; the Minis- munity event, the ministry has not yet members and civil servants at these had so far provided 9.485 billion and some residential areas have been try of Labour and Vocational Training; closed any schools. institutions to follow the health mea- riel ($2.3 million) to supply and closed, but we still have to do con- and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Pech Bolen, president of the Fed- sures and wear masks, wash hands equip the seven provinces along tact tracing. If you stay home you can Arts issued separate notices instruct- eration of Education Services in and socially distance. the Thai border. avoid any possible risks,” he said. ing their officials to follow the preven- Cambodia, said that his organisa- The labour ministry also said to He said that as of February 18, He also urged people to wear masks in tive health measures and the guide- tion had already conveyed the notice avoid closed spaces without ventila- approximately 38,944 Cambo- public places and to continue with so- lines of the health ministry. and instructions from the education tion as well as air-conditioned places dian workers had returned from cial distancing measures and he repeat- In their notice, the education min- ministry on February 20 to follow the or crowded spaces and to refrain from Thailand, and 11,792 remained ed that people should stay at home un- istry told their officials that in order to Covid-19 preventive measures man- touching others or shaking hands.