Azerbaijan re-introduces electronic permits to restrict movement as COVID spread worsens The country’s public health officials also have warned that the growing outbreak is straining the country’s health care system. Jun 23, 2020
Kazakhstan grapples uneasily with its second coronavirus wave The country is experiencing a turnaround after apparent early successes. Almaz Kumenov Jun 18, 2020
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. Jun 16, 2020
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. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva Jun 15, 2020
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
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
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
Kyrgyzstan: President pleads for sovereign debt restructuring Debt has risen to $4.6 billion this year. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva May 29, 2020
Kyrgyzstan: Draft bill threatens to drive NGOs against the wall The bill appears intended to force independent activism out of existence Ayzirek Imanaliyeva May 22, 2020
Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks cautiously, anxiously, eye return to familiar patterns Newly restored freedoms in the three countries have not come without problems and worries. Almaz Kumenov, Ayzirek Imanaliyeva May 18, 2020
Kyrgyzstan: Rapper voices nation’s angst in the time of coronavirus Sayasat is based on stories pulled straight from the headlines. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva May 13, 2020
Uzbekistan’s small businesses counting days to post-coronavirus freedom Before the pandemic, small businesses accounted for around 56 percent of Uzbekistan’s GDP. May 11, 2020
Kyrgyzstan’s coronavirus tracking app alarms privacy advocates There is anecdotal evidence that although the app is voluntary, many people are being pressured into loading it on their phones. Ayzirek Imanaliyeva May 8, 2020