Dashboard: Coronavirus in Eurasia - June 15-21
Reports from June 15-21 on how the pandemic has upended life in Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

This is an archive page. For the latest, click here.
Our latest
Putin, Aliyev discuss border crisis
The two presidents spoke following the violent breakup of a protest by Azerbaijani labor migrants in Dagestan. Details of a possible diplomatic resolution of the situation have been scant, however.
Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev diagnosed with coronavirus
His spokesman said the former president is still working remotely.
Kazakhstan grapples uneasily with its second coronavirus wave
The country is experiencing a turnaround after apparent early successes.
Hundreds of Azerbaijanis languish on Russian border
The labor migrants are trying to return home after losing their jobs in the coronavirus pandemic. Tensions are rising, and a protest on the border has been violently broken up by Russian police.
Turkmenistan: Is coronavirus façade slipping?
A “pneumonia” outbreak, more floods and a warm Russian embrace: this and more in our weekly Turkmenistan bulletin.
Kyrgyzstan: COVID-19 brings pain, but no gain, to fitness industry
New precautions make exercising an unappealing undertaking – for those who can still afford it.
Tajikistan: COVID-19 outbreak offers cover for fresh assault on free press
It’s open season on journalists in Tajikistan and officials aren’t shy about blaming the victims.
Azerbaijan imposes second weekend lockdown amid anti-police outrage
The authorities have indicated some sensitivity to the public mood, announcing that they are investigating evidence of excessive use of force.
Kazakhstan changes methodology, lowers COVID count
The government has altered how it tallies infections and deaths to favor rosier statistics.
Kazakhstan: New study uses COVID-19 lockdown to isolate causes of air pollution
Pollution fell along with traffic during quarantine, but airborne levels of several toxic chemicals rose far above WHO limits.
ARMENIA
Citing the pandemic, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declined an invitation from Vladimir Putin to attend the postponed Victory Day parade on June 24, his press service said on June 19.
Restrictions
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Starting June 17, Armenians will be required to carry official identification when outside in order to facilitate the filing of reports for administrative violations, EVN reported on June 16.
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Yerevan extended the state of emergency on June 12 through July 13, OC Media reported.
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Georgia on June 11 announced plans to send medical aid to neighboring Armenia to help it cope with the coronavirus crisis, as Yerevan continues to struggle with the worst outbreak in the region. In addition, Georgia’s National Center for Disease Control offered to test Armenian citizens for the coronavirus at its U.S.-built Lugar Lab in Tbilisi, or to send Armenia 10,000 PCR tests, Interpress reported on June 11.
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Pashinyan fired top security officials on June 9 a day after armed forces chief Artak Davtyan hosted a large wedding party for his son in violation of the state of emergency, reported OC Media. Pashinyan has vowed to name and shame those who ignore lockdown restrictions.
- A week after announcing they had tested positive for COVID-19 but were asymptomatic, Pashinyan said he and his family have fully recovered and tested negative, reported public radio on June 8.
- Pashinyan announced on June 3 that Armenia had run out of open hospital beds, while the same day brought the highest number of new cases in the country so far. In response to the dire epidemiological situation, the government has extended mask requirements to all public spaces, reported OC Media on June 4. Previously, masks were only required in closed spaces, such as public transport and shops.
- Schools are closed. Shops and restaurants reopened on May 18.
Health
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Health Minister Arsen Torosyan posted a graphic to his Facebook page showing a positive case trend, which he attributed to new sanitary norms, EVN reported on June 17. Torosyan warned that the situation was still severe and people should continue to wear face masks and maintain distancing.
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In contrast, Pashinyan said on June 18 that the 665 new cases in Armenia are due largely to continued resistance to wearing masks, in people’s show of “disregard for their own health, as well as the health of surrounding people,” Tert.am reported on June 18. The prime minister spent the evening walking the streets of Yerevan, where he praised people observing the sanitary rules and distributed masks, reported Radio Azatutyun on June 18.
- Hospitals added 350 new beds, the health minister said on June 8. Two days earlier, a shortage had left 200 people in need of immediate medical care waiting to be hospitalized. Two patients in critical condition who were unable to access ICU beds died. A return to total lockdown was considered by the state and rejected, due to economic fallout and expectations that another quarantine would be widely violated.
- Work at a garment factory was put on hold for 14 days after 115 workers became infected with the coronavirus, reported Radio Azatutyun on June 5.
- According to RFE/RL's Armenian service, few people are following restrictions and mask rules, motivated by a desire for fresh air.
- The number of emergency calls for domestic violence during the pandemic are higher than during the same period in 2019, reported EVN on June 1, while the number of criminal proceedings initiated from the calls has decreased.
- Someone is leaking the names of COVID-19 victims on Facebook, reported EVN on June 2. The spokesperson for the Health Ministry confirmed that the names of the dead are accurate, and that law enforcement will attempt to locate the source of the leak, which she called “a breach of human rights.”
Economy
- While the government has approved 21 programs to provide social and economic assistance during the pandemic, the effects of those programs have not been equitable, Jam News reported on June 18. In some cases, police and wealthy business people received financial aid, though the programs were designed for the unemployed or economically vulnerable. The programs have also had the effect of bringing 87,000 unregistered workers out into the open, revealing the contours of the Armenian shadow economy.
- Pashinyan praised the performance of the Central Bank at keeping prices stable during the pandemic, Radio Armenia reported on June 15.
- Chartered flights between Krasnodar and Yerevan will resume on June 10, public radio reported on June 8. Those who arrive in Armenia are required to undergo a 14-day self-isolation period.
- The government on June 4 approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to expand the list of sectors wherein workers may receive state benefits during the pandemic, EVN reported on June 4.
AZERBAIJAN
Azerbaijan will implement a strict quarantine across major cities from June 21 until at least until July 5, OC Media reported on June 19. Residents will need to ask permission before leaving their homes, but unlike the earlier quarantine in April, people over the age of 65 may also request to leave. Most commercial services will be closed, while parks will remain open and the metro will continue to operate.
Restrictions
- On a June 18 call, President Ilham Aliyev told Vladimir Putin that he would not be able to travel to Moscow for Victory Day celebrations on June 24, but would send a military delegation to participate in the parade, 1news.az reported.
- Cities were again under lockdown between June 14 and 16, with very few people allowed to venture outside their homes. The country has been gripped by a public backlash against law enforcement after police cracked down harshly on violators of the previous weekend lockdown. Baku residents seemed to take the second weekend of quarantine much more calmly than the first, reported Jam News on June 15, though the next day several dozen people protested police brutality in front of the Interior Ministry. Police broke up the rally shortly after it began, reported Jam News on June 16.
- The frustrations of hundreds of Azerbaijani labor migrants who lost their jobs in Russia and have been trying to get home for weeks blew up on the evening of June 15, with the Azerbaijanis staging a protest and Russian police breaking it up with tear gas and bludgeons. The border, in Russia’s republic of Dagestan, has been closed since March 18. Eighty Azerbaijani citizens were detained following the clash, reported Ekho Kavkaza on June 18.
- The Motor Transport Service has required that taxi passengers sit in the back seat in order to maintain social distancing, Trend reported on June 17.
- Starting June 3, police began to fine citizens appearing in public without masks. The oncoming summer heat has made people reluctant to comply with mask regulations, Jam News reported, and some have begun to keep masks at hand nearby, only to don when they catch sight of police.
- Schools and most stores closed. Borders closed.
Health
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Ambulance workers in eastern Azerbaijan are protesting poor working conditions and unpaid bonuses, OC Media reported on June 17.
Economy
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A student was arrested in Baku for protesting with a group of his classmates in front of the Ministry of Education, reported Jam News on June 2. Others received fines. The students were seeking to have their tuition payments for the past semester cancelled since, they argued, the quality of classes had dipped after they were transferred online.
GEORGIA
Restrictions
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Health officials said that October elections and the fall academic semester should proceed without problem as long as case numbers remain low, Agenda.ge reported on June 15.
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The head of a local transportation watchdog, Davit Meskhishvili, criticized the Georgian government about its management of public transport during the pandemic. Meskhishvili shared two photos on Facebook of passengers crammed together in a bus, and called for more stringent hygienic measures, including doubling the number of buses and personnel, as well as putting hand sanitizer dispensers in all public vehicles, OC Media reported on June 12.
- Parliament has adopted a law requiring people to wear masks in indoor spaces, Interpress reported on June 12. The fines for noncompliance are 20 lari ($6.50) for individuals and 500 lari ($164) for businesses.
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Voters will be provided with masks during October parliamentary elections, Interpress reported on June 11. Central Election Commission Chairperson Tamar Zhvania noted that maintaining social distancing during the elections would be impossible.
Health
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The government’s coronavirus working group is encouraging everyone to use the “Stop COVID” contract-tracing app, reported Interpress on June 17, calling it one of the most important components in fighting the pandemic. Tbilisi spent over 400,000 lari ($131,000) to purchase the app from an Austrian company, Agenda.ge reported on June 16.
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On June 4, Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani offered his Armenian counterpart unspecified help fighting the pandemic. Petitioners in Georgia have asked the government to treat Armenian COVID-19 patients in Georgia, OC Media reported on June 5.
Economy
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised 1.5 billion euros in favorable loans to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, reported Interpress News on June 19.
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The Asian Development Bank's director for Georgia, Shane Rosenthal, praised the Georgian government’s handling of the pandemic, noting the country's low infection rates. He offered five suggestions for economic recovery as the virus subsides, reported Agenda.ge on June 19.
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Georgia’s year-on-year external trade turnover for January-April 2020 saw a 16.8 percent decline, reported Agenda.ge on June 15.
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Railway travel and domestic tourism reopened on June 15, OC Media reported. Authorities hope that these measures will help stimulate the economy after months of stagnation.
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Plans to open the Georgian tourism sector to “green zone” countries may be put on hold as the pandemic in those states worsens, causing countries like Israel to ask Georgia to “postpone” the tourism restart, previously set for July 1, reported Interpress on June 10.
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The Ministry of Finance drafted a bill reducing the budgets of the Presidential Administration, the Governmental Administration and Parliament, reported Interpress on June 9.
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Georgia will increase its foreign debt by 6.1 billion GEL (about $2 billion) and its domestic debt by 1.8 billion GEL fighting COVID-19 this year, reported Agenda.ge on June 9. The World Bank predicts Georgia’s real GDP will decline this year by 4.8 percent.
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Georgia’s tourism plan envisions opening only to tourists hailing from countries the government classifies as "green," where the virus has significantly abated, reported OC Media on June 2. Armenia, with its recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases, will not be included among the sanctioned countries, reported Radio Armenia on June 2. Currently, countries being considered include Israel, Austria, Germany, Czechia, Greece and the Baltic states, reported OC Media on June 3. Czechia has said its citizens would be safe visiting Georgia.
BREAKAWAY TERRITORIES
- Most cases in Abkhazia were brought by students returning home from Russian military academies. The de facto government declared a state of emergency on March 27 and stopped public transportation. It banned tourists, the mainstay of the economy, and closed most businesses. High school seniors were required to return to school on June 2 for a two-week preparation period for their final exams, reported Apsny News. All other grades finished school on May 13 due to the pandemic.
- Abkhazia eased several of its quarantine restrictions, allowing markets to reopen and public celebrations, such as weddings, to resume on June 15. Tourist facilities and the region’s border with Russia will remain closed, however, reported OC Media.
- The de facto president of Abkhazia expressed concern that Russian aid had not been delivered to the territory so far this year, reported OC Media on June 5. Aslan Bzhaniya noted that revenues had been halved by the COVID-19 crisis, with little hope of recovery while income from tourism remains curtailed.
- South Ossetia, Georgia's other breakaway region, closed its border with Russia on April 5, including for freight, sealing the contested territory off for anyone without special government permission. It has extended the closure through June. The region's first case was confirmed on May 6. The patient arrived from Russia, state media reported. It is unclear how he passed the border, which has been closed. Two medical personnel have been infected in the region, reported Ekho Kavkaza on May 18.
- Outdoor seating in cafes, as well as open-air markets, have been allowed to reopen in South Ossetia, OC Media reported on June 12. As summer approaches and people move outdoors, police in South Ossetia say they will conduct spot checks in forests, parks and outdoor recreational areas to stop people from gathering in groups, official media reported on June 2.
- The Red Cross has delivered over $70,000 of PPE to hospitals in South Ossetia, OC Media reported on June 19. The ICRC has been the only international aid group to be actively involved in this disputed territory during the pandemic.
- Kindergartens in South Ossetia may reopen on July 1, state media reported on June 11.
- The de facto president of Nagorno-Karabakh extended the region's state of emergency on June 11 through July 11, reported Tert.
KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan’s former president Nursultan Nazarbayev has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has now been placed in isolation, his press secretary revealed on June 18. The 79-year-old resigned last year but still wields considerable powers. He is one of several senior officials to contract the disease in recent days. Health Minister Yelzhan Birtanov was hospitalized with COVID-19 on June 14. Three days later, the chairman of the lower house of parliament, Nurlan Nigmatulin, said he had tested positive after traveling with Birtanov.
Restrictions
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The capital, Nur-Sultan, will enter a weekend lockdown from 10 p.m. on June 19 to midnight on June 22. All non-essential businesses will be closed, as will parks, fitness centers, pools, and public transport. Police have warned residents to comply with the restrictions, promising that violators will be prosecuted, TengriNews reported on June 19.
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A number of quarantine measures have been put in place in the Almaty region, including the closure of parks and pools, TengriNews reported on June 19. Free movement within the region, as well as entry and exit, is still allowed, with the exception of people over 65 and minors. https://tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_news/karantin-usilivayut-v-almatinskoy-oblasti-405882/
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Prime Minister Askar Mamin has emerged from self-isolation after a second negative test, CentralAsia.Media reported on June 19.
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Journalists found 64 graves in a cemetery for COVID-19 victims outside Almaty, Vyacheslav Abramov of Vlast.kz tweeted. The number of graves has doubled since the beginning of June, and does not align with official numbers on death from the virus, which remained at 13 in Almaty as of June 16. Almaty authorities are refusing to answer questions about the spread of COVID-19, Abramov tweeted on June 15. One concern local media are trying to address: official statistics appear to be undercounting positive tests and deaths.
- Restrictions were tightened in Almaty on June 15, TengriNews reported: The hours shops are allowed to work were reduced, banquet halls closed, and banks and state companies told to send half their workers home. Deputy Health Minister Lyudmila Byurabekova said on June 11 that COVID-19 cases are rising in Kazakhstan because people are failing to comply with social distancing requirements.
- Visits to imprisoned convicts will remain restricted until the end of the lockdown restrictions, reported Kaztag.kz on June 9.
- More than 100 protestors were detained on June 6 by authorities who claimed they needed to "disinfect" rally venues in major cities, Radio Azattyq reported. Health Minister Yelzhan Birtanov had warned activists that they faced arrest during the first protests since the state of emergency was lifted.
Health
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In Nur-Sultan nearly 500 people a day have been admitted to hospitals since the beginning of June, with every other patient suffering from viral pneumonia, TengriNews reported on June 17.
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The head of Nur-Sultan's Department of Public Health warned of catastrophic days ahead if residents “continue to act carelessly,” saying overworked doctors and nurses will not be able to cope with an additional surges of cases, reported TengriNews on June 17.
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An internal report by the Health Ministry stated that a major reason so many doctors have become infected with the coronavirus is their negligence, reported Fergana News on June 16. The investigation reports that medical professionals in Almaty have failed repeatedly to follow sanitary protocols necessary to contain the pandemic. The statement echoes Almaty's former chief sanitary officer, Aizat Moldagasimova, who recently resigned after a backlash from doctors over her critique.
- A recent outbreak at the Rakhat chocolate factory in Almaty began with a handful of positive diagnoses. Widespread testing revealed that 467 factory workers carried the virus but were asymptomatic, TengriNews reported on June 15.
- Deputy Health Minister Liyazat Aktayeva confirmed that an eventual vaccine against the coronavirus would not be compulsory, reported TengriNews on June 12, stating that “citizens retain the right to informed consent or refusal.”
- COVID-19 patients have begun receiving antibody treatments with plasma transfusions from donors who have recovered from the virus, reported Fergana News on June 8.
- Nearly 600 police officers have been infected with the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, reported TengriNews on June 9. No police fatalities have been recorded.
- A kindergarten in Petropavl closed for a 14-day period after a three-year-old attendee was confirmed to have COVID-19, reported TengriNews on June 9.
Economy
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International flights are set to resume on June 20, reported TengriNews on June 15. Arrivals from foreign countries will be screened according to their place of origin, with China, South Korea, Thailand, Georgia and Japan requiring the least testing and other countries requiring various additional screening measures.
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Finance Minister Yerulan Zhamaubaev assured the press on June 12 that governmental reserves could sufficiently cover a second wave of COVID-19, TengriNews reported.
KYRGYZSTAN
Restrictions
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A new crisis center for victims of domestic violence has opened in response to the pandemic, reported Fergana News on June 19. In the first three months of this year, incidents of domestic violence rose 65 percent compared to the same period in 2019, Deputy Prime Minister Aida Ismailova said recently.
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The government of Kyrgyzstan announced on June 14 that cases of COVID-19 in Bishkek continue to rise. Officials stressed the need for earlier diagnoses of the disease and more proactive self-isolation for those who have been in contact with an infected person.
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The government has promised to up punishments for businesses that violate sanitary regulations, closing them rather than just issuing fines, reported Kloop on June 12. The change in policy followed reports of a large gathering at the Bishkek restaurant Kainar on June 11, which allegedly included members of parliament.
- Deputy Education Minister Nurlan Omurov has announced that university classes in the fall will be held online, reported 24.kg on June 8.
- Around 130 Kyrgyz migrants have been stuck in the Russian city of Troitsk since March 17, reported 24.kg on June 7. Members of the group reached out to the news network with pleas for help that echo the stories of other Central Asia migrants who lost work in Moscow and bought tickets home, only to find closed borders or cancelled flights.
- Parliamentary elections scheduled for October may be postponed due to the virus, reported 24.kg on June 3.
Health
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President Sooronabi Jeenbekov has blamed regional and local leaders for not doing enough to prevent the virus from spreading, 24.kg reported on June 19. The president also called on restaurants and public transport companies to realize the role they play in facilitating infection and take appropriate measures.
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President Jeenbekov threatened to sue members of the Cabinet of Ministers for taking a large group photo on June 17 in which only one person appears to be wearing a mask, reported Radio Ozodi on June 19. The photograph was taken after a ceremony for the new Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov. Boronov apologized for the photograph, and promised that he and members of his government would pay the appropriate fines. Jeenbekov has rarely appeared in a mask since the beginning of the pandemic.
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Health Minister Sabirzhan Abdikarimov said that asymptomatic patients will no longer be admitted to hospitals, in contrast to previous policies, reported Kloop on June 16.
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The Ministry of Transportation is requiring all public transportation drivers to keep a written record of their passengers, Fergana News reported on June 16.
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The cost of healing one COVID-19 patient in Kyrgyzstan ranges from 3,000 to 132,000 soms ($40-1800), 24.kg reported on June 16.
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Children will not be required to pass a coronavirus test before beginning kindergarten this fall, 24.kg reported on June 9, only to provide a certificate of good health. Meanwhile, six kindergarten employees were recently diagnosed with COVID-19, reported Kloop the same day.
Economy
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MP Dastan Bekeshev has called for an increase in doctors’ salaries, reported 24.kg on June 10. Doctors in Kyrgyzstan currently earn between 3,900 and 10,000 soms ($52 and $135) per month.
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The National Bank has projected a 4 percent fall in GDP this year, reported 24.kg on June 10.
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The tourist season is officially open in Kyrgyzstan, reported 24.kg on June 5, but the flow of holidaymakers to Lake Issyk-Kul is not expected to start until June 20.
- Charter flights will begin bringing Chinese workers back into the country this month, Vice Prime Minister Erkin Asrandiev said on June 3, to resume work on numerous investment projects backed by China.
TAJIKISTAN
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Nearly 50 cars have gathered on the border between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, where Russian citizens who cannot afford expensive government evacuation flights are instead pleading with authorities to establish a “green corridor” back to Russia, reported Asia Plus on June 19. The report says that neither Russian nor Tajik officials are commenting on the situation.
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Starting on June 25, Tajikistan will begin flights to return migrants stranded in Russia due to the pandemic, Akhbor reported on June 19. About 1 million Tajik migrants remain in Russia with no way to return home.
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Tajikistan has lifted the ban on weddings, allowing people to gather in groups no larger than 100 starting on June 20, Radio Ozodi reported on June 17.
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Tajikistan plans to resume flights to Uzbekistan starting July 1, reported Central Asia Media on June 18.
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The upper house of Tajikistan is considering legal amendments to fine people for not wearing masks, Asia Plus reported on June 16. The lower house of parliament on June 10 adopted a bill that would allow police to fine and imprison people for appearing in public without a mask, Radio Ozodi reported. Repeat offenders could face up to 10 years in prison.
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Activists are suspicious that new restrictions on “publishing false information about the pandemic” will act as yet another veil for state censorship of the media, Radio Ozodi reported on June 13.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) intends to send another mission to Tajikistan, Fergana News reported on June 5, noting “there are also suspicions that the authorities are either hiding cases or at the very least making little effort to detect them.”
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Tajikistan has blocked a website that is trying to independently track COVID-related deaths. The crowd-sourced site, kvtj.info, lists hundreds of deaths caused by COVID-19 or related pneumonia, many times the government's official tally.
Health
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A second group of Polish health workers and WHO experts arrived in Tajikistan on June 14, Avesta News reported. The specialists are sharing their experience containing and treating the coronavirus with Tajik doctors.
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According to the UN, over 1,700 medical workers in Tajikistan have been infected with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, Avesta reported on June 11. On June 8, medical personnel represented 36 percent of the COVID-19 cases in the country.
Economy
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A 50-60 percent spike in the price of fertilizer is forcing farmers to skimp, which will reduce output, the United Nations in Tajikistan reported on June 15. "The use of agricultural inputs, particularly fertilizers for wheat production, is price sensitive. Farmers often use less fertilizers even with only slight increases in prices, leading to decreased yields and a consequent reduction of available food stocks," the report said. A reduced wheat harvest in 2019 has increased imports from Kazakhstan, the country's chief supplier, and prices are about 30 percent higher than a year ago. Wheat imports "still account for more than half of the domestic consumption needs of cereals, and wheat represents more than 90 percent of the cereal imports."
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Wages decreased by 10 percent in the 12 months to April 2020, the UN said on June 1. (The report did not specify if the change was real or nominal).
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Service industry businesses will benefit from new tax holidays designed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the tourism and hospitality sectors, reported Fergana News on June 5.
TURKMENISTAN
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Authorities continue to deny the pandemic has reached the country.
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Amsterdam-based website Turkmen.news said on June 15 that there were at least 34 patients diagnosed with acute pneumonia at a regional hospital in Turkmenabat, which is just across the border from Uzbekistan. Unnamed sources cited by the website have described the number of people undergoing observation for pneumonia as unprecedented. The precedent of Tajikistan indicates that a surge of hospitalizations attributed to pneumonia is strongly suggestive of the arrival of the coronavirus in Turkmenistan. The government has steadfastly stuck, however, to the line that no cases have yet been detected.
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There is still no sign, as of June 16, of the expected World Health Organization technical mission that has been awaited since April. Vienna-based Chronicles of Turkmenistan reported on June 10 that the authorities are pulling out all the stops to present a rosy Potemkin facade of well-furnished medical facilities.
Economy
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Tehran says Turkmenistan and Iran have agreed to restart road and rail traffic as of June 10. This had been due to happen on June 1, but the date was delayed as facilities were being put in place for disinfecting cargo. Trucks must pass 26-meter-long tunnels through a 70-centimeter deep pool of disinfectant liquid – in effect, a sheep dip for trucks. Turkmenistan has said it wants to build similar facilities on the Afghan border.
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Not a week passes now without a fresh report of public anger about food shortages in the regions. Vienna-based Chronicles of Turkmenistan reported on May 10 that the head of the Turkmenbashi district in the Dashoguz province was, while he was out inspecting cotton fields, manhandled by residents indignant at the scant supplies of subsidized flour at the local state store. People are particularly exercised that more emphasis has been placed in the area on cultivating cotton, which can be used to raise foreign currency but cannot be eaten, instead of wheat. Police eventually got involved, Chronicles reported
UZBEKISTAN
Soldiers from Uzbekistan, as well as 11 other countries, have arrived in Russia to prepare to take part in the Victory Day parade on June 24 marking 75 years since the end of World War II. President Vladimir Putin initially had postponed the celebration, held annually on May 9, due to the pandemic. Delegations from Azerbaijan, Armenia, China, Belarus, Mongolia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Serbia and Tajikistan are scheduled to attend, contributing to a total of 64,000 troops in the parade, Prodrobno reported on June 17.
Restrictions
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In Tashkent, 71 neighborhoods have been labeled “red zones” for recent surges in infections, Podrobno reported on June 17; traffic entering and leaving these zones has been prohibited.
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Flights between Uzbekistan and South Korea will resume at the end of June for students and migrant workers, Fergana News reported on June 19.
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Over 250 people are in quarantine after attending a wedding in the Muzrabad district of Surkhandarya Province, Central Asia Media reported on June 18.
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In a public opinion survey, 67 percent of respondents were found to be in favor of lessening lockdown restrictions to help the economy, state media reported on June 15.
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Quarantine measures in Uzbekistan have been prolonged until August 1, reported Fergana News on June 14.
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After weeks of confusion, authorities have confirmed that drivers in vehicles by themselves are not required to wear masks, Podrobno reported on June 15.
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Samarkand's historical mosques and shrines reopened on June 11, Podrobno reported on June 10.
- The number of people held in guarded quarantine sites has averaged 20,000-25,000, with 1,000 people leaving or joining each day. Fergana News reported on June 8 on the camp outside Tashkent, where shipping containers were converted into quarantine units for those returning from abroad.
- The government announced on June 4 that it would allow more stores, restaurants and kindergartens to reopen on June 15. A ban on nightclubs, city buses and the Tashkent metro, concerts and group prayers will remain.
- The country has been divided into zones to indicate the level of permitted movement: red, yellow and green. In the green zone, cars can move freely without special permits and more businesses are allowed to reopen.
Health
- The chief sanitary inspector of Uzbekistan denied allegations of manipulating the data on the number of coronavirus infections, Kun.uz reported on June 18.
- Hospitals will no longer admit patients with the coronavirus who are asymptomatic or only exhibit mild symptoms, Fergana News reported on June 17.
Economy
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The Central Bank of Uzbekistan will provide 300 billion sums ($29.5 million) in credit to the self-employed, Fergana News reported on June 17.
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Despite the pandemic, exports of several types of produce to Russia have grown, reported Podrobno on June 15. Led by tomatoes, cabbages and lemons, the exports grew 42 percent year-on-year for the period January through April.
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The government’s decision to force businesses to pay for the treatment of COVID-19 patients who became infected working or visiting their property has ignited widespread indignation, Fergana News reported on June 15. Businesses protest that it is impossible to prove that anyone was infected in a particular location, and that these measures are an effort by the state to shift the cost of the pandemic to private enterprises.
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A Chinese-Uzbek pharmaceutical company has developed a drug that it claims “reduces the effects” of COVID-19 by 78.3 percent, reported Fergana News on June 10. Eleven thousand packages of the drug have been sent to Iran as humanitarian aid.
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