Tag Archives: Coronavirus

Turkmenistan still reports no cases of the coronavirus

APRIL 5 (The Bulletin) — Like Tajikistan, Turkmenistan has not reported any cases of the coronavirus. Some unverified reports from Turkmenistan said that discussion of the coronavirus has been banned.

Quoting a foreign ministry document, Reuters reported that Turkmenistan had banned all freight shipments through its territory because of the spread of the coronavirus.

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— This story was first published in issue 441 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2020

Kyrgyz president sacks deputy PM and health minister over coronavirus response

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APRIL 5 (The Bulletin) — At least two people have now died with COVID-19 in Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz health workers said. They both died in a hospital in Nookat in the south of the country, the epicentre of the outbreak in Kyrgyzstan. Officials have said that pilgrims returning from the Hajj in Mecca to their homes in and around Osh and Jala-Abad spread the coronavirus.

Looking to deflect criticism pf the government’s response to the spread of the coronavirus, Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov sacked health minister Kosmosbek Cholponbayev and deputy PM Altynai Omurbekova (April 1). He said that they had been too slow to identify the source of the virus in the country and said that their work was “unsatisfactory”.

The state-of-emergency forced a court in Bishkek to postpone the trial of former president Almazbek Atambayev and 13 other defendants who are charged with inciting deadly clashes with the security forces in August 2019 (March 30).

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— This story was first published in issue 441 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2020

Thousands of Tajik workers return home

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DUSHANBE/April 5 (The Bulletin) — Thousands of Tajik workers have returned early from jobs in Russia because of a lockdown triggered by the spread of the coronavirus, threatening to undermine the Tajik economy which is one of the most remittance-reliant economies in the world.

An estimated 500,000 Tajiks work in Russia – labouring on building sites, selling roses at train stations, cleaning streets and other menial jobs – and they send home the equivalent of around a third of Tajikistan’s annual GDP. The numbers are similar for Kyrgyzstan.

Economists have said that the combined drag of the coronavirus pandemic and a crash in oil prices may tip Russia into a recession.

The last time the Russian economy contracted, in 2015, the knock-on effect to the Tajik economy was significant.

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— This story was first published in issue 441 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2020

Azerbaijan failed to highlight impact of the coronavirus

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APRIL 5 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijan’s government has been quiet on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its projected growth figures for 2020. It has unveiled a multi-million dollar aid programme to help businesses get through the economic downturn and has also set up a fund which is being supported by government agencies and large private companies such as banks.

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— This story was first published in issue 441 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2020

Armenia reports most cases of the coronavirus

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APRIL 5 (The Bulletin) — Armenia has the most reported cases of the coronavirus in any country in the Central Asia and South Caucasus region. It has now said that there are 822 cases in Armenia and that seven people have died.

The Armenia-administered territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan also claims sovereignty over, held elections despite the spread of the coronavirus (March 31). Two candidates who back Mr Pashinyan will go into a final round of voting , set for for April 14.

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— This story was first published in issue 441 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2020

Radio Free Europe chiefs says Tajik officials hinder reporting on the coronavirus

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APRIL 5 (The Bulletin) — Tajikistan has not reported any cases of the coronavirus. It has closed its borders but there are no restrictions within the country on people’s movement. The Tajik football season is one of only four in the world — the others being Belarus, Nicaragua and Burundi — that are continuing to play league matches.

The head of the US-backed Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty news service, Jamie Fly, said that Tajik officials were deliberately obstructing the efforts of his journalists to report on the coronavirus.

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— This story was first published in issue 441 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2020

MARKETS: Stocks rise after coronavirus hit

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APRIL 5 (The Bulletin) — Stocks across the world, including in the Central Asia and South Caucasus region, rebounded from the depths they reached last week as the infection rates of the coronavirus started to flatten out.

Every major traded stock in the region, other than Georgia’s TBC Bank, moved upwards, most by double figures, although Bank of Georgia, TBC’s rival, only posted a 0.7% rise.

The biggest risers were the gold and copper producers, helped up by strong commodity and US dollar prices. Centerra Gold, which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, saw its share prices increase by 17.4% to C$8.71. It started the year at C$10.41.

The chart below, of Centerra’s share price, shows market volatility since February. The impact of the coronavirus has moved prices wildly.

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— This story was first published in issue 441 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2020

Azerbaijan imposes strict coronavirus lockdown

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APRIL 5 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijan said that there were now 584 people infected with the coronavirus, up 63 from the day before. Since March 29, Azerbaijan has put in place one of the strictest lockdowns with people only allowed to leave their homes once they have sent a request into a police control centre.

City parks have been closed. People can only leave their home to buy food, medicine and to walk a dog. The Baku city metro has been closed.

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— This story was first published in issue 441 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2020

Georgia says that a second person has died from the coronavirus

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APRIL 5 (The Bulletin) — Georgia reported its second death from the COVID-19 disease, caused by the coronavirus. The country has reported 170 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, a relatively low amount.

Georgia’s government has been praised for its swift action after it reported its first infection on Feb. 26. Observers said that the Georgian strategy of swiftly isolating people who have come into contact with people infected with the coronavirus, closing schools and transport networks and confining people to their homes has been aided by the Lugar Centre, a US-funded laboratory in Tbilisi which has been able to provide swift test results. Russia has previously accused the Lugar Centre of being a US biological warfare outpost.

Reports said that at least 37 people with suspected infections of the coronavirus have been transferred from the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to Georgian hospitals.

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— This story was first published in issue 441 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2020

Coronavirus spreads throughout Kazakhstan

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APRIL 5 (The Bulletin) — Officials in Kazakhstan said that there were now 569 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country and that five people had died with the COVID-19 disease. The government has called up thousands of reservists to help fight the spread of the COVID-19 disease, caused by the coronavirus, by enforcing lockdowns across the country and manning roadblocks.

Previously only Nur-Sultan and Almaty had been placed under a lockdown but now all businesses in all towns and cities have been ordered to close. The lockdown only allows people out of their homes every other day. In a televised address to the nation, Kazakh President Kassym Jomart Tokayev described medical workers as “life-saving heroes” and promised to give them salary rises. Critics of the government have said that the underfunded Kazakh health system will struggle to cope with an influx of patients with COVID-19.

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— This story was first published in issue 441 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin