The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on March 19 issued a press release announcing the temporary closure of border gates with Vietnam.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen

According to Cambodia's largest online media outlet Fresh News, the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation sent an urgent notice to the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia regarding the temporary closure of the border between the two countries.

The closure is set begin at midnight on March 20, 2020. 

The above request is made to avoid inconvenience at the two countries’ border checkpoints, in light of the recent spike of confirmed cases of COVID-19, while Vietnam has imposed travel restrictions requiring 14-day mass quarantine and self-quarantine of all travelers from ASEAN countries, including Vietnamese who return home.

Entry by Vietnamese national into Cambodia and Cambodian nationals into Vietnam by land, water way and air will be temporarily suspended, effective from 23h 59 of March 20 2020. This measure is primarily aims to avert the inconvenience of quarantine requirement for both Vietnamese and Cambodian nationals who travel to Vietnam from Cambodia.

The above measure does not apply to Vietnamese and Cambodian holders of diplomatic and official passports.

The Cambodian side proposes that the local authorities of two countries work together to facilitate and ensure that the transport of goods across the common border can be carried out without disruption.

The Cambodian side requests the local authorities of Vietnam to facilitate Cambodia’s repatriation of all Cambodian nationals, if any, currently placed under quarantine in Vietnam.

The border closure is made under the direction of Prime Minister Hun Sen.