Kazakhstan takes measures to protect its citizens from Coronavirus

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan – Kazakhstan, which has a common border with neighbouring China with a length of almost 1,500 kilometres, decided to take tough measures to protect its citizens from the Wuhan Coronavirus.
An interdepartmental commission under the government of Kazakhstan has taken additional protective measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus in Kazakhstan, the office of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan said.
“From February 3, 2020, regular air traffic between Kazakhstan and China will be suspended. Since January 29, 2020, passenger bus services were suspended, from February 1, 2020 passenger trains on the routes between the Kazakhstan and China will be suspended; the issuance of visas to Chinese citizens has been suspended,” the press service of Kazakh government said.
The government also informed that the proposal of the International Tennis Federation to transfer the qualifying matches of the Federation Cup from Dongguan of the China to Kazakh capital – Nur-Sultan from February 4 to 8, 2020, was also rejected, and the Asian water polo qualifying championship was canceled from 12 to 16 February, 2020.
The interdepartmental commission of Kazakhstan monitors the situation around the clock, the Kazakh government said. “As of January 29, 2020, there were no cases of coronavirus infection in Kazakhstan. This issue is under special control of the country’s leadership,” the press service of Kazakh government noted.
At the moment, another 139 Kazakhstan tourists remain in China, in the city Hainan. In addition, according to the information of the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, about 340 Kazakh students remained in China.
“Kazakhstan is ready to remove its citizens from China and is having talks with the Chinese side. For those students who expressed a desire to return to their homeland, we prepared an airplane. The main thing is that we now should receive approval from Chinese side, since there are international agreements concluded between the two countries and we must work within their framework,” Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Berdibek Saparbayev said.
According to him, upon arrival, Kazakhs who flew from China will be sent to a medical clinic, where they will be in quarantine for about two weeks.
The country’s authorities recommend that Kazakhs refrain from traveling to China without urgent need to the cities of Wuhan, Huangang, Echzhou, Chibi, Xianbao, Qinizyan, Zhijia and Liguan.