The World Health Organization (WHO) says COVID-19 cases are once again approaching record levels, with the more transmissible Delta variant continuing to dominate transmission across Europe and Central Asia.

           Central Asia’s nations such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan every day report new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and take necessary measures to prevent the further spread of the infection.    

           Thus, Tengrinews reports 1,450 new cases of coronavirus were registered in Kazakhstan on July 18.  A day earlier (July 17), 1477 new cases of coronavirus were reported in Kazakhstan. 1,318,,044 cases of COVID-19 have been officially reported in Kazakhstan reported since the first cases of the infection were confirmed in the country.  Of them, 13,664 have died.   

           As far as Uzbekistan is concerned, 61 new cases of COVID-19 were officially registered in the country on July 18, bringing a  total number of officially registered cases of coronavirus in the country to 242,366.  Of them, 1 637 have died, according to coronavirus-control.ru. 

           65 new cases of COVID-19 were registered in Kyrgyzstan on July 18, 2022, bringing a  total number of officially registered cases of coronavirus in the country to 201,769, according to AKIPress.  Of them, 2,991 have died.     

           Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of Tajikistan (MoHSPP) claims that no new cases of COVID-19 have been registered in the country since February this year. 

           For the last time, three officially confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in Tajikistan on February 18, 2022.

           A MoHSPP said on February 25 that that a total number of the officially confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in Tajikistan has amounted to 17,786 since April 30, 2020, when its index cases were confirmed in the country.

           A total number of those who have been cured in Tajikistan since April 30, 2020 has reportedly amounted to 17,264 (99.2 percent).

           The number of the officially confirmed coronavirus-linked deaths in Tajikistan has remained the same – 125.     

           However, an investigative report by Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service in 2020 revealed that the real number of COVID-19 deaths might be several times higher, including dozens of physicians and nurses who treated COVID-19 patients and later died.

           In March, Tajikistan authorities lifted most coronavirus restrictions, including mandatory mask wearing in public places and a temporary ban of traditional ceremonies and celebrations, including weddings.

           Tajikistan’s Standing Committee on COVID-19 Response said on March 7 that the decision to lift the restrictions was made "while taking into consideration the normalization of the epidemiological situation in Tajikistan."

           The restrictions were imposed in July 2020.  Wedding parties were limited to up to 40 close family members and had to be held inside private homes.

           As of March 7, the number of participants in wedding parties and other traditional celebrations was raised to up to 200 people.

           An official source within the MoHSPP told Asia-Plus on July 19 that the coronavirus situation in the country is under control and all necessary measures are taken to prevent the spread of the infection.

           Navrouz Jafarov, an official with the MoHSPP, told Asia-Plus in an interview in late June that no cases of stealth omicron and other variant of coronavirus have been registered in the country so far. 

           “The situation is under control of the ministry and all necessary measures are taken to prevent the spread of the infection,” Jafarov said.  

           However, Jafarov had earlier told Asia-Plus that “no one now is safe from the spread of omicron and it is necessary to take stronger measure to prevent the spread of this coronavirus strain.”  

           Recall, Uzbekistan tightened pandemic restrictions in January as the first case of Omicron variant of COVID-19 virus was confirmed in the country.

           Tajik authorities said in January that Tajikistan has tightened control over its common border with Uzbekistan to reduce the risk of importing the COVID-19 Omicron variant. 

           Meanwhile, residents of the country write in social networks that that there are cases of coronavirus in Tajikistan too, but people with all the symptoms of the disease do not go to hospitals.

           The COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).  The virus was confirmed to have spread to Tajikistan when its index cases, in Dushanbe and Khujand, were confirmed on 30 April 2020.

           By January 13, 2021, government reported that all cases had either recovered or died, leaving the country free of COVID-19 for the first time since April 2020.  Tajikistan reported to be the first country in Central Asia to eradicate COVID-19, and would be the only country with over 10,000 total cases to have zero active cases.  After five months and twelve days, Tajikistan recorded 63 news COVID-19 cases.

           The MoHSPP says more than 4 million people in Tajikistan have been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far.

           The coronavirus COVID-19 is reportedly affecting 228 countries and territories.  According to COVID-19 data provided by Worldometer on July 19, coronavirus cases around the globe have been reported at 568,738,183 since China reported its first cases to the World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2019.  Of them, 540,004,992 have recovered and 6,389,654have died.