NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is loosening restrictions on businesses, reported Minister of Healthcare Azhar Giniyat at the Jan. 25 meeting of the government.
Volunteers are undergoing revaccination and urge people to get vaccinated in the capital. During the lockdown, young enthusiasts worked at vaccination points, hospitals, and helped people in self-isolation. Photo credit: Press service of the city administration. Click on the picture to see the map.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the government to review the strict quarantine measures taking into account the concerns of the small and medium-sized businesses at the recent meeting with business executives in the capital.
Entertainment and sports events, weddings, anniversaries, exhibitions, forums are to be held without restrictions for visitors with green status in the Ashyq system regardless of the epidemiological zone they find themselves in.
The sports centers, health, religious and entertainment facilities, shopping malls, retail chains, casinos, nightclubs, and karaoke are also open for visitors with green status.
Hotels, airports, railway stations, river and sea ports, bus stations, public service centers (known as TsONs), Kazpost offices, banks, schools, universities, beauty and SPA centers are open for all visitors with both green and blue status in the Ashyq system.
“The country has not taken such steps to ease quarantine in all business sectors over the entire period of the pandemic. This imposes a responsibility and trust in the commitment of the businesses to the implementation of the measures for safe work,” said Giniyat.
The incidence rate remains high statewide. All regions are in the red zone except for the Turkistan region, which is in the yellow zone.
The highest rate is observed in the Akmola, Karaganda, Pavlodar regions and Nur-Sultan.
The incidence rate has increased by 1.5 times compared to August, when the highest mortality rate was recorded daily. The overall COVID-19 mortality rate decreased by 12.4 times. Since the beginning of January, the incidence rate has increased 11 times compared to December.
“Since the beginning of the year, more than 178,000 confirmed cases were reported. The daily confirmed cases exceeded 16,000 for the first time during the pandemic. The Omicron variant spreads more easily,” Giniyat said.
Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said that it is necessary to monitor the sanitary and epidemiological situation and “not interfere with the activities of businesses but jointly solve problems.”
The vaccination and revaccination campaigns also continue in the country. As of Jan. 25, more than 9 million people have been vaccinated with the first dose and 8.7 million people have had the second dose, according to the recent Healthcare Ministry’s press release.
It is reported that Russia’s Sputnik Light vaccine is now available for revaccination use in the country.
A second vaccination has recently been approved for those who travel abroad to represent the interests of the country, holders of the Bolashak international scholarship and students who study abroad and people going abroad for medical treatment.
The interval between the last vaccination and the revaccination is a minimum of 90 days.
