Eurasianet

The government said the system was useless against the Omicron variant, but critics accused them of pandering to anti-vaxxer sentiment.

Tbilisi’s world-famous nightclubs were the country’s last businesses to reopen following the COVID lockdown. But it took a confrontation with the authorities to make it happen.

Similar systems have been used around the world to encourage vaccinations. But under Georgia’s, you may be better off not being vaccinated at all.

While clumsy on COVID-19, Turkmenistan is being more sure-footed, or consistent at least, on the Afghanistan front. Plus, unsustainable agriculture. Our weekly briefing.

The government signals it is taking COVID a bit more seriously, without admitting the virus is running rampant. And Ashgabat gets down to business with the Taliban. This and more in our weekly briefing.

Poor and rural families are not equipped to handle online school. Now they fear another academic year is going to start with schools still closed.

Georgia’s mortality rate is among the world’s highest, and just under 6 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

That Central Asia's presidents seemed to enjoy themselves together was itself a breakthrough. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

A few months ago, the thought of taking a Chinese COVID vaccine was unthinkable to Georgians. Now it’s the norm.

Recent growth indicators seem impressive only compared to the disaster that was 2020.

Cases are rising rapidly and vaccines – for those who want them – are hard to find.

After some early success in fighting COVID, Georgia let down its guard. Then I did, too.

The health minister then drank the concoction at a press conference.

The death of a nurse, hasty European policy decisions and the Georgian church’s indifference all have contributed to a rocky rollout for the vaccination campaign.

The region appears wholly unprepared for the latest rise in cases.