According to the data from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSPP), 41 new officially confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in Tajikistan yesterday, bringing a total number of the officially confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country to 12,469 as of the evening of December 7.

The number of coronavirus-linked deaths remains the same in the country – 87, a MoHSPP says.

48 COVID-19 patients were reportedly discharged after recovery yesterday.  In all, 11,881 (97.4 percent) coronavirus patients have reportedly recovered in the country as of the evening of December 7. 

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 April 30, 2020.      

The coronavirus COVID-19 is reportedly affecting 218 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances. 

Recall, Moscow began distributing the Sputnik V COVID-19 shot via 70 clinics on December 5 to the most exposed groups, marking Russia’s first large-scale vaccination against the disease.  The Russian-made vaccine will first be made available to doctors and other medical workers, teachers and social workers because they run the highest risk of exposure to the disease.  The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriyev, said in an interview with the BBC on December 4 that Russia expects to give the vaccine to about 2 million people this month.

Russia last month said its Sputnik V drug was 95% effective and would be cheaper and easier to store than some alternatives.     

Scientists, however, raised concerns about the speed at which Russia has worked, giving the regulatory go-ahead for its vaccines and launching mass vaccinations before full trials to test safety and efficacy had been completed.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan said on December 4 it will begin producing Russia's coronavirus vaccine on December 22.