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. Jun 12, 2020
Kazakhstan changes methodology, lowers COVID count The government has altered how it tallies infections and deaths to favor rosier statistics. Zholdas Orisbayev Jun 12, 2020
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. Aliya Uteuova Jun 11, 2020
Georgia’s tourism reopening to be selective Georgia is getting ready to host tourists, but would-be backpackers should not get their hopes up. Giorgi Lomsadze Jun 10, 2020
The mystery of Tajikistan’s “win” on COVID-19 Officials are poised to reopen the country only weeks after the crisis began. Jun 9, 2020
Azerbaijanis rebel against strict weekend lockdown Strict stay-at-home orders did not go over well with many Azerbaijanis, leading to clashes with police officers. Joshua Kucera Jun 8, 2020
Emerging from lockdown: Time for Georgian food? Georgia is cautiously returning to normal life, but wondering if opening up will threaten its hard-won success in stemming the spread of coronavirus. Giorgi Lomsadze Jun 8, 2020
Uzbekistan: Heartbreak and despair for expat laborers trapped by COVID Tens of thousands of Uzbek workers are trying to get home. In Uzbekistan itself, however, not everybody is eager to see them. Jun 5, 2020
Chinese business briefing: Working overtime Many Chinese workers have been stuck in Central Asia during the coronavirus lockdown, forced to work overtime to meet production quotas. Niva Yau Jun 4, 2020
Amid renewed COVID-19 outbreak, Azerbaijan introduces strict lockdown The long weekend curfew is modeled after Turkey’s, as the disease is spreading rapidly following the loosening of earlier restrictions. Joshua Kucera Jun 4, 2020
Tajikistan: Coronavirus panic puts sufferers of other illnesses in grave danger With supply chains disrupted, patients with chronic needs are unable to find key medicines. May 29, 2020
Parents struggle to reach newborn surrogates in Georgia Dozens of babies are marooned in hospitals, their international parents unable to travel during the coronavirus crisis. Pearly Jacob May 27, 2020
Georgia and Armenia bicker over pandemic response Tbilisi may have refused to let the insult slide because Georgia’s coronavirus response has become an electoral platform for the governing party, which faces a parliamentary vote this fall. Giorgi Lomsadze May 26, 2020
Tajikistan strains credibility with apparent COVID-19 turnaround Officials say 1,000 people have recovered in a two-day period. May 22, 2020
Tajikistan sees unusual protests, authorities react with force Chinese workers rallied with a demand to be allowed to travel home. May 21, 2020