Kazakhstan to ease COVID-19 curbs from October 20

COVID-19 infection rates are dropping in Kazakhstan. In the last two weeks alone, the case rates have decreased by 17 percent, while the daily increase in infections has declined twofold. According to the Health Ministry, overall, the number of coronavirus cases over the past two months has also shown a decrease of 3.8 times, and the mortality rate has decreased by 3.6 times. According to Kazakh Health Minister Alexey Tsoy, the stabilizing epidemic situation has led to the termination of the work of temporary infectious disease hospitals. More than 100 such facilities have been closed since August 25. Thus, the country’s infectious diseases beds are currently occupied by only 34 percent, and the ICU beds by 29 percent. Given this tendency, and also the fact that 70 percent of the country’s eligible population have been vaccinated against the virus, Kazakhstan will relax its COVID-19 restrictions.

“It will be allowed to visit patients of medical and social facilities, as well as homes for the disabled, children’s homes and places like that, but visitors will need to present a certificate confirming that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or a document with a negative PCR test result with the date of issue no older than three days prior. The night clubs will be open only for residents with a green status. The capacity must be up to 50 percent, but no more than 100 people for the regions in the green zone, no more than 70 in the yellow zone, and no more than 50 in the red zone. Opening hours of businesses participating in the Ashyk project will be extended until 3 am for those in the green zone, and until 5 am for the Ashyk leaders. For the regions in the yellow zone the time of extension will be until 1 am, and for the leaders of the Ashyk project it will be until 3 am,” Tsoy said.

Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova

Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova