Kazakhstan is going to strengthen quarantine measures during weekends on June 20-21.
According to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s edict, the Interagency Сommission decided to introduce additional restrictive measures.
1. In Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Karaganda, Shymkent, Pavlodar and Ekibastuz:
• To suspend work of shopping and entertainment centers, trading houses, chain stores, indoor food and non-food markets as well as bazaars;
• To close all eating places except those operating outdoors and following social distancing requirements;
• To limit work of public transportation;
• To suspend work of public resort places such as parks, public gardens, beach promenades, beaches and aqua parks;
• To suspend work of fitness centers;
• To restrict people 65 years and older from being outside.
2. In settlements with a population above 50,000 people:
• To suspend work of public resort places such as parks, public gardens, beach promenades, beaches and aqua parks;
• To restrict people 65 years and older from being outside.
3. To close tourist areas that are located near Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Karaganda, Shymkent, Pavlodar and Ekibastuz according to local sanitary officers’ orders while those who are already staying inside those areas should keep social distancing.
According to the order of the prime minister, the heads of the regions must provide the following:
• To expand outreach for PCR tests among the population by opening new laboratories on the base of medical organizations;
• To increase the number of beds in hospitals for those infected and those who have had contact with them;
• To expand outreach for patients’ CT scanning by mobilizing all resources in the region regardless of the form of property;
• To ensure proper work of medical emergency services when they deal with calls from the public;
• To implement proper control (on distance or with the help of mobile crews) for those who are staying home;
• To inform people about these measures and explain reasons.
On June 17, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced new measures to stabilize the epidemiologic situation and expand outreach for COVID-19 tests. According to the president, the situation is very difficult because many people do not follow quarantine requirements. However, the government keeps the situation under control, the president stated.
As of June 18, there were 15877 COVID-19 cases reported in Kazakhstan with 9902 recovered and 100 dead.
The first coronavirus case was reported in Kazakhstan on March 13. Three days later, the president declared a state of emergency. On March 19, the two largest cities, Nur-Sultan and Almaty, were put under quarantine.
Since then, the president extended the state of emergency twice on April 14 and April 27. This regime was lifted by the president’s edict on May 11. However, Kazakhstani authorities warn that the risk of infection is still in place in some regions. Therefore, quarantine measures should be lifted very cautiously if the situation with the disease in certain regions is going to improve.
