The city recorded 1000 COVID-19 cases within 48 hours. This resulted in new measures by the Phnom Penh Municipality to contain the virus.
- Alcohol sale was initially banned from April 11 to 24, 2021 in markets, supermarkets, restaurant, cafés, food stalls and shops. Then the ban was first extended for a further two weeks till May, 8, 2021 as new cases kept rising in the city. Then it was further extended till May 22, 2021.
- All restaurants, cafés, eateries, food stores and other food and alcoholic beverage businesses are closed for dine-in. They can provide take away services.
Many new cases have been linked with alcohol-centric social contexts, such as parties, specifically a large community event held in late February, 2021. It resulted in the municipality better regulating availability of alcohol. The measures are in line with advice by the World Health Organization provided early on when in the pandemic.
Alcohol policy solutions play an important role in protecting citizen’s health. A ground breaking new report illustrates the lethal interaction between alcohol industry products and practices with the coronavirus pandemic.
- Alcohol products increase health and societal problems arising from the pandemic. For example, alcohol weakens the immune system and makes people more susceptible to coronavirus infections. And alcohol-centric social contexts have often become COVID-19 super spreader events.
- Alcohol products increase the burden on healthcare and emergency services which are already stretched due to the pandemic.
- The alcohol industry exploits the pandemic to change alcohol laws to their benefit such as through weakening delivery and take away laws.
[This article was updated on May 4, 2021 as per new information from The Phnom Penh Post]
[This article was updated on May 11, 2021 as per new information from The Phnom Penh Post]
