Kazakhstan will tighten its COVID-19 restrictions. Consideration is being given to allowing only citizens with a green status to visit public places of mass gathering. Kazakh First Vice Minister of Health Marat Shoranov announced this at the Government’s meeting. According to him, the COVID-19 vaccination rate is declining in the country. To date, only 66.6 percent of the population has been fully immunized. According to experts, this figure is not enough to achieve herd immunity.
“It will now be tested in pilot mode that on weekdays only citizens with green status will be allowed to visit places of mass gathering. First of all, this is done to protect the health of other people, and we must take care of them. In addition to vaccinated people, there are children and unvaccinated elderly people who have contraindications. In this case, according to our rules, a citizen should be given his or her status based on the medical exemption to COVID-19 vaccination, or be vaccinated,” said Marat Shoranov, Kazakh First Vice Minister of Health.
In the country as a whole, over the past two months, there has been a decrease in the incidence of coronavirus by almost three times, and in mortality by four. Experts note that it is too early to relax, it is necessary to strengthen control over the observance of measures.
“The situation in neighboring countries should be taken into account. Compliance with restrictive measures must be ensured in all regions. Monitoring groups should work in an enhanced mode. Mayoral offices and the Ministry of Health need to conduct audits of medicines and medical equipment in medical institutions and warehouses, and provide them in full,” said Askar Mamin, Kazakh Prime Minister.
In the global ranking, Kazakhstan ranks 105th out of 222 countries in terms of the incidence of coronavirus and 102nd in terms of mortality.
Translation by Galiya Khassenkhanova and Assem Zhanmukhanova
Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova
