The authorities of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have declared a set of fresh restrictions which are aimed at containing the spread of the deadly coronavirus or COVID-19 as the number of cases are on the rise in Central Asia.
Kazakhstan has reported 52 cases till now and the authorities mentioned on Saturday that they are going to close all parks in Amaty, which is the biggest city in the country and was put under lockdown this week along with capital city Nur-Sultan.
Central Asia tightens restriction to control COVID-19 spread
Over the last two days, police and National Guard servicemen have also locked down several residential buildings in Almaty where infected people lived. In Uzbekistan, with 33 confirmed cases, the government said late on Friday it was shutting down all entertainment venues and tea houses and banning large-scale wedding parties and other family ceremonies.
In Turkmenistan, which has so far reported no coronavirus cases, locals traveling to and from the capital, Ashgabat, said that officials at checkpoints installed around the city informed them that non-essential travel was banned. The Turkmen government, which earlier suspended all international flights, has made no official announcements on the scope and duration of the new restrictions. The government of Kyrgyzstan, where the number of coronavirus cases doubled overnight to 12, said on Saturday it was locking down the provincial districts where the infection had been diagnosed.
(With agency inputs)
