Cambodia’s Hun Sen has COVID-19 at G-20 after hosting summit

NUSA DUA, INDONESIA: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday he has COVID-19 and is canceling his events at the Group of 20 meetings in Bali, just days after hosting many world leaders, including President Joe Biden, for a summit in Phnom Penh.

In a posting on his Facebook page, the Cambodian leader said that he had tested positive for the coronavirus Monday night and that the diagnosis had been confirmed by an Indonesian physician on Tuesday morning. He said he was returning to Cambodia and was canceling his meetings at the G-20 as well as the following APEC economic forum in Bangkok.

He said it was lucky that he arrived in Bali late Monday and was unable to join a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders.

The White House said Biden tested negative Tuesday morning and is not considered a close contact as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cambodia was the host of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit that ended on Sunday, and Hun Sen met with many leaders who attended one-on-one.

In addition to Biden, guests included Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and many others.
In his Facebook post, Hun Sen said he had “no idea” when he might have become infected with COVID-19.

He said he feels normal and is continuing to carry out his duties as usual except for meeting with guests.

VOA