Central Asia responds to coronavirus risk
WHO has declared the worldwide spread of COVID-19 a pandemic. The total number of new infections was 118 thousand people in 114 countries. Of these, more than 90% occur in four countries, while the number of cases in China and South Korea has dropped significantly.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on governments to take urgent action. The News-Asia information portal tried to describe how the countries of Central Asia, where no cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded yet, respond to this risk.
Turkmenistan has already significantly restricted entry into the country for foreigners, especially from countries with an unfavorable epidemiological situation, as well as canceled a number of flights. Starting March 12, only Turkmen citizens can buy a ticket for flights of Turkmen Airlines. How long the ban will last is still unknown. Those who have already purchased tickets will be fully refunded.
All public events were canceled in Kazakhstan, in particular, the celebration of Novruz and the Victory Day Parade in Nur Sultan. According to Kazakhstan Vice-Premier Yeraly Tugzhanov, the holidays will begin in schools on March 16, and students will switch to distance learning. The country also stopped visiting cinemas in shopping and entertainment centers. However, shopping centers and markets continue to operate.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on improving the effectiveness of protecting public health in the country. The President ordered the responsible persons to analyze the factors and causes of diseases, develop appropriate recommendations, adopt and implement programs for each region. Disease prevention is instructed to commence, first of all, in rural areas.
The Ministry of Health of Tajikistan, in association with representatives of other ministries, departments and organizations, is developing an Emergency Response Plan related to COVID-19. It have not yet been announced what specific new measures the authorities will take. It is known that preventive disinfection is performed twice a day in markets and other crowded places. According to the sanitary and epidemiological services of the Republic of Tajikistan, measures for the prevention of coronavirus are taken in many institutions and enterprises, as well as in schools and kindergartens. Celebrations on the occasion of Novruz and other public events were also canceled in the republic. And the Muslims of Tajikistan temporarily pray at home, not in mosques.
All cultural, entertainment and sporting events, including Novruz, have been suspended in Kyrgyzstan for safety reasons. According to the Center for State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance in Bishkek, disinfection is performed twice a day in the capital’s public transport.
All countries of the region have already received coronavirus test systems from Russia developed by Rospotrebnadzor.
