A duty-free store operated by China Duty Free Group (CDFG) will become the first outlet at Phnom Penh integrated resort NagaWorld to reopen as Cambodia’s capital city starts easing some COVID-19 restrictions.
NagaWorld operator NagaCorp announced late Tuesday that it had been informed by CDFG of its intention to reopen the store, located at NagaCity Walk, under the city’s new traffic light zoning system.
NagaWorld is located in a so-called “yellow zone” under which all businesses are allowed to reopen except for schools, nightclubs, bars, discos, beer gardens, restaurants, amusement parks, massage parlors, liquor stores, movie theaters, art theaters, museums, fitness clubs and sports centers.
All staff and visitors will be required to undergo a body temperature check upon entering, to wear masks and to social distance.
There is no word yet on when casino operations will resume, with NagaCorp stating, “As at the date of this announcement, except for CDFG’s store reopening at NagaCity Walk on 13 May 2021, the rest of the space at NagaWorld Complex have not been reopened yet.”.
NagaWorld was one of the first businesses in Phnom Penh to close in March during the early stages of Cambodia’s latest COVID-19 outbreak after 11 staff tested positive to COVID-19. The outbreak stemmed from an incident on 20 February when four Chinese nationals bribed their way out of a quarantine hotel and visited a series of nightclubs. Two of those Chinese nationals later tested positive for COVID-19, setting in motion Cambodia’s first major outbreak.
The current NagaWorld closure is its second since the start of the global pandemic, having previously suspended operations for just over three months from 1 April to 8 July 2020.