Unicef promotes e-learning scheme in Cambodia

UNICEF has scaled up support in 145 countries, including Cambodia, to help children continue their studies after school closures around the world due to Covid-19.

Meanwhile, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica) gave funds to support the creation of a Khmer e-learning platform for students from grades 7-12 to study online for free.

School closures have disrupted the studies of 80 per cent of students around the world. Unicef declared further support for all countries to help children continue their learning and make schooling safe, it said in a recent announcement from New York City, US.

“Most countries closed the doors. This situation has never been seen before and if we do not act now to educate children, society and economies would face disaster in the long run after Covid-19 has been overcome.

“In the most vulnerable communities, the impact will continue to the next generation,” said Robert Jenkins, its chief, education and associate director, Programme Division, at Unicef Headquarters.

He said that based on the lessons learnt from school closures in response to Ebola, the longer students stay away from school, the less likely they would return.

Giving children more alternatives to learn, and building a routine, he said, is important.

To deal with the disruption to children’s education and help them continue learning safely, Unicef has allocated additional funding of $13 million for about 145 countries.

Source: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/unicef-promotes-e-learning-scheme

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Online Gaming Booms as Corona Virus Lockdowns Millions

When two Spanish footballers took to the controls of “FIFA 20” after the coronavirus pandemic saw their La Liga match cancelled, a stadium-sized virtual audience watched online.

The huge digital crowd last week is part of a spectacular boom for the digital gaming industry, as record numbers flock to online servers for distraction, entertainment and friendship with the “real world” seemingly falling apart.

Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias kicked the winning goal using his own digital likeness in the 6-5 battle against Sevilla, which was broadcast on popular video game streaming platform Twitch.

It took place at the same time the original derby had been scheduled, before Spain’s premier tournament was postponed as part of containment measures that have also seen the country’s 46 million people largely confined to their homes.

“We do all of this to entertain all of you, so that you can be at home enjoying it, insofar as it is possible with this epidemic,” the host of the broadcast told his audience of 60,000.

Nearly every country around the globe has reported cases of COVID-19 infection, with frantic efforts to contain the disease prompting the near total shutdown of some of the world’s biggest cities.

Online gaming has proved a welcome diversion for many people chafing at movement restrictions, the cancellation of countless public events and a relentless onslaught of news about the pandemic.

“It made me feel less depressed about being in a small space for a long time,” said Yang An, who was made to quarantine for two weeks in China after returning to Shanghai from her hometown last month.

She told AFP that she passed the time by playing for up to eight hours a day on her Nintendo Switch handheld console.

Source: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/lifestyle/online-gaming-booms-virus-lockdowns-millions

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Cambodia Prime Minister Hints at Declaring State of Emergency

PHNOM PENH -

Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday he was considering the possibility of declaring a state of emergency, though he said it in the middle of an irate speech criticizing price gouging.

Speaking to volunteer doctors and healthcare professionals in Phnom Penh, Hun Sen said the pharmacists still have time to decrease the price of face masks, adding they could lose their business license and that all masks would be confiscated from their shops.

“I am checking the possibility of using Article 22 of the Constitution to ask the King to place the country under state of emergency,” he said, immediately after making the threat to shutdown pharmacies.

“I don't want to use it, but [I will] if my call is not effective,” he said, labelling the mask sellers as “opportunists.”

Cambodia, he said, would need to enact a law first to implement the Article 22 of the Constitution, adding that he needs to know the scope of the state of emergency. Hun Sen did add that it would curtail “civil liberties.”

“When the nation faces danger, the King shall make a proclamation to the people putting the country in a state of emergency after agreement with the Prime Minister, the president of Assembly and the president of the Senate” reads Article 22 of the Constitution.

Source: https://www.voacambodia.com/a/prime-minister-hints-at-declaring-state-of-emergency-criticizes-price-gouging-/5346106.html

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Cambodia gets ready with more than 3,000 rooms for COVID-19 patients

To be ready for any potential spike in COVID-19 pandemic victims, the government has reserved more than 3,000 rooms for potential patients.

In stating this, Prime Minister Hun Sen said “More than 3,000 rooms of hotels, school buildings, dormitories and other public buildings across the country have been arranged to receive COVID-19 patients.

In Phnom Penh, there are four places ready for COVID-19 patients, including Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital, Chak Angre Health Centre, Preah Ket Mealea military Hospital, and Great Duke Hotel.

The Premier underlined that all patients, regardless of their nationalities, tested positive for COVID-19 in Cambodia have free of charge access to treatment.

According to the Prime Minister, Cambodia has over 20,000 health practitioners, of them more than 2,000 have been ready to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that the Royal Government’s recruitment of volunteer health practitioners this time is part of a commitment to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the Kingdom.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50705653/cambodia-gets-ready-with-more-than-3000-rooms-for-covid-19-patients/

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KOOMPI Launches Free Online Education Platform for Cambodian Students

Local laptop producer KOOMPI has released a free online educational platform, exclusively designed for Cambodian students to continue their education at home amid the COVID-19 shutdown.

KOOMPI stated this week that the company is introducing “KOOMPI Academy”, an online learning program designed with expertly selected material to facilitate student’s at-home learning experience.

“Our team selects learning materials from around the world, specifically for Cambodian students of all levels who are self-motivated to learn,” KOOMPI said.

Content has been selected to ensure remote learning is possible for all levels of study and all locations throughout the country and will be accessible in both online and offline modes. Content includes teaching videos related to science, technology, engineering, art, math and other material provided from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.

“We expect to see more self-motivated learners and a new model of learning alongside the current learning method. We believe we must change the way we learn and use the tools we have to acquire knowledge. We want to take this opportunity to test what can work better” Thul Rithy, founder of KOOMPI told Khmer Times.

The online learning platform has been highly recommended for studying after the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport announced an immediate measure ordering the educational institution closure to reduce the spreading possibility of COVID-19 among students.

The government’s website elearning.moeys.gov.kh is the first platform for student to access their studies remotely. There are also other online platforms being launched such as e-learning Cambodia, Sangapac and Khmerload.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50705256/koompi-launches-free-online-education-platform/

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First team of medical experts arrive in Cambodia to combat COVID-19

The first team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Cambodia on Monday morning to help the country fight the COVID-19 and they received a warm welcome from Cambodian officials and well-wishers.

A Chinese embassy official said that further needs will be assessed as and when the need arises or when a request is made.

Landing at the Phnom Penh International Airport via a special chartered plane, the seven-member expert team was cordially greeted by Cambodian Health Minister Mam Bunheng and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian.

Dozens of well-wishers also welcomed them at the airport by waving the flags of Cambodia and China when they walked down from the plane.

At the airport, the Chinese experts posed for group photos with Bunheng and Wang as well as others, with two banners writing that “A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed” and “Lancang-Mekong Has Only One Origin, China and Cambodia Have Only One Heart.”

According to a Cambodian Ministry of Health’s press release, the expert team, from south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, came over with tons of medical supplies including ventilators, medical masks, protective suits, test kits, and infrared temperature sensors.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50705185/first-team-of-medical-experts-arrive-in-cambodia-to-combat-covid-19/

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Cambodia Ministry calls for Home Schooling

Phnom Penh - 23 March, 2020 - Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, Hang Chuon Naron appealed to parents of students to provide home education in a proper environment and help them obtain more learning materials.

The ministry also allowed schools to take a premature vacation after several people tested positive for Covid-19.

In a Facebook post, Chuon Naron said that to guarantee the continuity of studies, the ministry requested parents to provide home education in a proper environment with tables and chairs. If possible, there should be computers with internet connection too.

“Dear parents and guardians, please help your children by providing more learning materials,” he said.

“The students will use the books set out by the ministry and also look for more information on Youtube, Facebook and the ministry’s website, which has reproduced each previous lesson,” he said.

He also appealed to parents to explain to their children about the spread of Covid-19 and ways to prevent the disease, lest they live in fear.

At present, he said, the disease had not yet worsened. But all families were required to closely follow the developments of the disease daily and join the government in stopping its spread.

“I request all parents and guardians to kindly advise their children not to hang out at places where the risk of infection is high.

“Please advise them to practice personal hygiene, wash hands with soap often and thoroughly, and especially follow the guidelines laid out by the ministry,” he said.

The ministry allowed students ranging from pre-schools to higher-education in both the public and private sectors to take a break from March 16 until further notice to prevent and stop the spread of Covid-19.

It also appealed to parents to encourage their children to stay away from places with a high risk of possible infections such as public swimming pools, gymnasiums, playgrounds and public parks.

Source: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ministry-calls-home-schooling

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Japan funds construction of clean water system and school buildings in Cambodia

Cambodia - March 20, 2020 - Japanese government has provided grant assistance of nearly US$400,000 to Cambodia, under its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (KUSANONE Grant).

The grant contracts were signed between Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia  Mikami Masahiro and representatives of the recipient organisations.

The grant assistance is for constructing clean water distribution systems in a village in Pursat province and school buildings in the provinces of Rattanakiri, Mondulkiri, and Kratie.

Initiated in Cambodia in 1991, KUSANONE Grant is aimed to assist vulnerable people from a range of natural causes, such as poverty and misfortune, which directly threaten their livelihoods and dignity, as well as promote their self-ownership of the community.

Since 1991, through KUSANONE Grant, Japan has provided more than US$60 million to local authorities and non-governmental organisations to implement 624 projects in the areas of infrastructure, education, health and agriculture throughout Cambodia. Chea Vannak/AKP.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50703909/japan-funds-construction-of-clean-water-system-and-school-buildings-in-cambodia/

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Nintendo Online Gaming Network Back After Corona Outage

Siem Reap - 18 March 2020 - Gamers breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday after the end of a network outage that affected Nintendo’s online games, with internet-based systems under increasing pressure from people staying home over coronavirus.

“The issue with our network services has now been fixed. Thank you for your patience!” tweeted Nintendo on its European Twitter account, with similar messages posted on its other accounts.

The hours-long outage affected its online games but also its e-shop, which was offline for a shorter period.

Nintendo has not specified the reason for either outage, which came after other online game systems including Microsoft’s Xbox Live dealt with problems related to increased demand.

The outage affected people using the popular Nintendo Switch console as well as its 3DS and Wii U models.

Nintendo’s original Switch console, a hybrid that can be used for handheld play or hooked up to a screen at home, has become a huge global seller.

It is entering its fourth year. Last September, Nintendo also launched a scaled-back, cheaper version of the console, called Switch Lite, which is a strictly handheld device. Its sales have also been solid.

Online there was despair at the outage, which comes as people around the world find themselves confined to their homes to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

“Only a few days into the coronavirus self-isolation and Nintendo servers are already down. Oh dear god,” tweeted one frustrated user.

Source: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/lifestyle/nintendo-online-gaming-network-back-after-outage

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Cambodia Closes Karaoke Clubs, Cinemas to Curb Corona Outbreak

PHNOM PENH: 18 March, 2020 - Cambodia had decided to close all KTV or karaoke clubs and cinemas across the country in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus), Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in a statement on Tuesday (March 17).

The closure was made at the request of Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen. He said in the statement sent to Tourism Minister and Governors of all cities and provinces across the kingdom.

"The closure of the KTV clubs and cinemas nationwide starts from March 17, 2020 until the situation of the Covid-19 eases," Bunheng said.

The latest measure came after Cambodia detected 12 more cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total number of the confirmed cases in the kingdom to 24.

Bunheng said all the confirmed cases were the imported cases, as there has been no evidence of community transmissions in Cambodia yet.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Sunday issued a directive, advising the Cambodian people not to travel to Europe, the United States and Iran if not necessary.

He said civil servants at all ministries and state institutions were not allowed to attend all types of meetings in Europe, the United States and Iran.

"For civil servants and Cambodian people who have just returned home from countries in Europe, the United States and Iran, they must self-isolate for 14 days from the day of their arrivals to Cambodia," Hun Sen said.

Also, the kingdom has banned foreigners from Italy, Germany, Spain, France and the United States from entering the country for 30 days, taking effect from March 17, and from Iran, starting from March 18.

On Monday, the ministry of education allowed all public and private school students across the country to take an early vacation, and the ministry provided online teaching to them through its website and social media platforms. - Xinhua/Asian News Network

Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2020/03/17/cambodia-closes-karaoke-clubs-cinemas-to-curb-outbreak

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Students retreat online as schools closed nationwide in Cambodia

SIEM REAP - 17 March 2020 - Students are advised to learn remotely as all public and private academic institutes in Cambodia temporarily shut their doors in response to the upswing in COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom, the Ministry of Education said yesterday.

In line with the closures, all academic institutes are mandated by the Education Ministry to collect information regarding the travel histories of students and staffers, especially those who have visited countries with reported surges in COVID-19 cases, by March 16.

While the responses of parents toward the nationwide closures have been of general relief and support, some are still left with concerns.

“Parents fear for the health and safety of young children since they do not possess the proper knowledge or ability to care for themselves. Because of this, many parents also feel hesitant to bring their kids to school,” said 33-year-old parent Tim Malia.

“After coming home from work, I will provide instruction for my children as much as I can. I will urge them to practice writing and reading as well as do their homework while on a temporary vacation,” she added.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50702462/students-retreat-online-as-schools-closed-nationwide/

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Cambodia Announces Nationwide School Closures as COVID Response Ramps Up

PHNOM PENH / WASHINGTON — 16 March, 2020

The Education Ministry announced on Monday the closure of all public and private educational institutions across the country, as the Cambodian government ramped up its response to the global pandemic, almost two months after the first reported case in the country.

A similar announcement on Saturday had called for the closure of public and private schools only in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap provinces. At the time, the government said it had found the virus in “foreign nationals” and based on preventive measures outlined, the Education Ministry was closing down public and private schools in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

However, on Monday, a ministerial directive ordered all educational institutions, from kindergarten to universities, both public and private, to start their summer vacations early until further notice from the government. It claimed that positive cases among Cambodians, reported late Sunday, were the reason for the nationwide school closures.

Speaking on Saturday, Education Ministry spokesperson Dy Khamboly had claimed the situation was different in Preah Sihanouk and Battambang provinces, both populated provinces as well, and that the government had restricted the measure to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

“So, it is a preventive measure to prevent the spread of the COVID19 disease,” said Dy Khamboly.

He did not provide additional comment on Monday for the escalation in the school closures.

On Friday, health officials confirmed that two foreigners – a Belgian and Canadian national – had tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Phnom Penh, with Siem Reap seeing one case in early March, one of them a Cambodian national.

In Saturday’s announcement, the Education Ministry said schools could use the average of graded work from December to March, as the basis for the grading students for this semester.

Source: https://www.voacambodia.com/a/cambodia-announces-nationwide-school-closures-covid-response-ramps-up-/5330402.html

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Cambodia bars entry from five countries as COVID-19 cases increase

PHNOM PENH - 16 March, 2020: Cambodia has banned entry of visitors from Italy, Germany, Spain, France and the US to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The 30-day ban on "foreigners" will come into effect on Mar 17, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Saturday as Cambodia recorded two new cases, bringing its tally to seven.

"The Kingdom of Cambodia has subsequently detected the COVID-19 virus on different foreign nationals, which requires immediate measures to prevent the spread and importation of the COVID-19 virus into Cambodia," Minister of Health Mam Bunheng said in the statement.

"Therefore, the Ministry of Health takes measures to ban foreigners from Italy, Germany, Spain, France and the United States from entering the country for 30 days, effective March 17, 2020," he added.

Cambodia, which recorded two new cases of the virus on a 49-year-old Canadian teacher and a 33-year-old Belgian man on Friday, hasn't banned travellers from China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Canadian national's two children tested negative for the virus though his school has been closed, the ministry and the school said.

Schools in the capital Phnom Penh and Siem Reap province, where coronavirus cases had been detected, were ordered closed on Saturday, the Ministry of Health said.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/cambodia-bars-entry-from-five-countries-as-covid19-cases-12538586 

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Cambodia confirms 1 more COVID-19 case, bringing total tally to 8

PHNOM PENH, March 15, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Health said on Sunday that one more foreigner tested positive for COVID-19, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the kingdom to eight.

The patient is a 35-year-old French man, who, along with his wife and 4-year-old son, flew from Paris to Phnom Penh with a transit flight in Singapore, the ministry said in a statement, adding that they arrived in Singapore Friday night before taking an MI 602 flight from Singapore to Phnom Penh on Saturday.

They arrived at their home in Phnom Penh on Saturday morning and Cambodian health authorities located them on Saturday evening after they got information from the Singapore health authorities that the French man tested positive for the coronavirus, it said.

The statement, citing the patient's remarks, said that his samples were first taken for a test at the Singapore airport due to his high body temperature, but Singaporean health officials let him continue his flight to Cambodia and told him to wait for the results later.

The man said he had properly worn a face mask while taking the flight from Singapore to Cambodia, and his body temperature was normal at that time, according to the statement.

Cambodia's Ministry of Health secretary of state and spokeswoman Or Vandine said the samples of the man were taken for a diagnosis at the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia Saturday night.

"The results from the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia, released at 14:30 in the afternoon on March 15, 2020, showed that the 35-year-old French man was positive for COVID-19 virus," she said.

Currently, the patient is put in an isolation room at the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital for treatment, she said, adding that the samples of the man's wife and son were also taken for tests, but the results were unavailable yet.

To date, Cambodia has recorded a total of eight COVID-19 patients, including a Chinese man, a Cambodian man, three British nationals, a Canadian man, a Belgian man and a French man.

In a bid to curb the spread of the virus, Cambodia has decided to ban entry of travelers from Italy, Germany, Spain, France and the United States for 30 days starting from March 17, and from Iran, starting from March 18.

The Southeast Asian country has also allowed all public and private school students in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap City to take an early vacation from Saturday.

Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/15/c_138880509.htm

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5 wonders of Cambodia

SIEM REAP: Cambodia hopes to have at least five more places of significance declared as United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) world heritage sites.

The United Nations body has recommended that Cambodia prepare more comprehensive documentation before submitting its proposal.

The proposed sites are the Phnom Tbeng natural heritage areas, Mekong Prek Kampi dolphin sanctuary, Phnom Nam Lear Rock in Phnom Nam Lear Wildlife Sanctuary, Prek Prasab Wildlife Sanctuary and south Cardamom National Park.

Environment Ministry secretary and spokesman Neth Pheaktra told The Phnom Penh Post that this was the first time that Cambodia had considered applying for the protected natural sites to be listed as world heritage sites.

However, he said the government had not made any decision because of Unesco’s recommendation to prepare more in-depth and detailed documentation.

“We have time. Therefore, we will work on the documentation to submit a more robust application to Unesco for World Heritage registration,” he said.

The ministry said in a Facebook post a number of outstanding protected areas had been identified for the Unesco submission.

“A technical meeting was called to discuss proposals for submission. The advice we got back was that we needed more comprehensive documentation for the proposal.

“The areas that will be in the final proposal have not been decided yet, and we will have more meetings before confirming the list,” Pheaktra said.

He said the proposal was to protect and preserve the areas, which were internationally recognised for their richness in ecological diversity and cultural, historical and environmental values.

The meeting was attended by 70 representatives, including officials of the Environment and Culture Ministries, and representatives from ICC Angkor Wat, Unesco Cambodia, Cambodian National Commission for Unesco, provincial administrations of Koh Kong, Preah Vihear, Ratanakkiri and Mondulkiri, and development partners.

The kingdom has at least eight Unesco World Heritage sites and intangible heritage, namely Angkor Wat, Royal Ballet and Khmer Shadow Theatre, Lakhon Sbek Thom, the Temple of Preah Vihear, tugging rituals and games, Chapei Dang Veng, Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk and Lkhon Khol Wat Svay Andet.

Meanwhile it was reported that the number of tourists at Angkor Wat had been dwindling since the outbreak of Covid-19.

Chinese visitors used to make up the bulk of tourists visiting the site, and there were almost none visiting the site now as arrivals had been down by 90 per cent.

Realising the seriousness of the situation, Prime Minister Hun Sen had announced tax breaks for hotels and guesthouses in Siem Reap for four months to offset the losses.

Source: https://www.nst.com.my/world/region/2020/03/574293/5-more-wonders-cambodia

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UNICEF & WHO Issue Guidance on Protecting Children and Schools from COVID-19

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) today issued on Tuesday new guidance to help protect children and schools from transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

The guidance provides critical considerations and practical checklists to keep schools safe. It also advises national and local authorities on how to adapt and implement emergency plans for educational facilities.

In case of school closures, the guidance includes recommendations to mitigate against the possible negative impacts on children’s learning and wellbeing.

“This means having solid plans in place to ensure the continuity of learning, including remote learning options such as online education strategies and radio broadcasts of academic content, and access to essential services for all children. These plans should also include necessary steps for the eventual safe reopening of schools,” the guidance says.

In places where schools remain open, the guidance calls to make sure that children and their families remain protected and informed. It includes recommendations to provide children with information about how to protect themselves; promote best handwashing and hygiene practices and provide hygiene supplies; clean and disinfect school buildings, especially water and sanitation facilities.

The UNICEF also urges schools – whether open or helping students through remote learning – to provide students with holistic support.

“Schools should provide children with vital information on handwashing and other measures to protect themselves and their families; facilitate mental health support; and help to prevent stigma and discrimination by encouraging students to be kind to each other and avoid stereotypes when talking about the virus.

The new guidance also offers helpful tips and checklists for parents and caregivers, as well as children and students themselves.The tips include monitoring children’s health and keeping them home from school if they are ill; encouraging children to ask questions and express their concerns; and Coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your elbow and avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth and nose.

Source: http://english.almanar.com.lb/962821

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