Daily Life in Cambodia – Page 42 – Welcome to Cambodia, and…..

Proof vaccines work

This graphic from Morning Brew, an interesting (and cheeky) daily take on the news, shows that the vaccines are working. Breakthrough infections–those happening to people already vaccinated–are minimal and produce usually only mild symptoms. Get vaccinated! (And thanks, Morning Brew!)

Summer job

With school closed, Mom says I might as well help make some money.

An Unstable Situation

Cambodia is in a volatile and unstable situation with COVID-19. A few days ago, the WHO declared that the next two weeks will be critical for the kingdom as daily infection numbers remain high and the Delta variant becomes established. [All photos are from the Khmer Times]

The good news is that Cambodia has received more than 7 million doses of vaccine and 73% of the population has been vaccinated. China, the United States, and the UK are contributing 2 million more doses this week.

More good news is that today vaccinations began for 12 to 17 year old children, and the prime minister announced that a third injection, a booster, will be offered to all who have received the first two doses.

Bad news is that hundreds of Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand are daily crossing the border to return to their home provinces because the factories in Thailand have shut down because of the pandemic. The Thai-Cambodian border is now closed but people like these are crossing illegally. The worry is that they are importing the Delta variant spreading through the country.

More bad news is that a new curfew declared in Phnom Penh and other cities is not being strictly observed. 275 persons were detained last night in Phnom Penh during the curfew hours of 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM.

A day at the office…

This is what it looks like when you live and work in a shophouse.

Signs of Progress

A somewhat unlikely sign of progress in the development of Cambodia is this small frontloader at a sand pile on a construction site. It would be much more common to see a handful of humans–maybe most of them women–moving the sand around with shovels. But Cambodia is becoming more and more mechanized.

Shoes for sale

It’s not uncommon to see piles of shoes at a sidewalk pop-up shop. I can imagine it would take a while just to find your size but then, too, it may take a considerable time just to find the mate of one that fits. Click here to see some shoe “shops.”

More vaccine for Cambodia

After incurring only about 375 positive cases of COVID-19 in the first fifteen months of the pandemic, Cambodia now has experienced more than 72,000 cases in the last five months. Phnom Penh is almost completely vaccinated but the country has had 800-1000 cases per day for more than two weeks. A good number of those cases now are “imported,” i.e., brought into Cambodia by migrant workers returning to Cambodia after their jobs disappeared in Thailand when factories there were closed. Many of these returning workers are crossing the border illegally and it is feared that they are bringing the delta variant of the virus.

Above is a picture of 325,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine donated by Japan, part of a one million dose gift. This vaccine arrived yesterday.

Watermelon Season

What to watch…

I don’t worry….

This motorcycle driver is a good illustration of the casual approach to driving here. He has no helmet. His bike has no rearview mirrors. His taillight is broken. His bike has no license plate. Does anyone worry? No. Could he get stopped by the police? He could, especially if the officer feels the need for a little extra money. Is it likely? No.