Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has declared the country coronavirus-free, claiming there have been no new cases this month.
Rahmon made the claim in an address to a joint session of both houses of parliament that took place on January 26.
“Tajikistan today is without COVID-19," Rahmon said, adding that the "absence of coronavirus" within Tajikistan's borders did not mean that citizens can now neglect regulations such as wearing masks and social distancing.
He also said that individuals arriving in Tajikistan from other countries must be placed in quarantine.
Indeed, only eight officially cases of the novel coronavirus (COID-19) have been reported by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSPP) this month so far (five officially confirmed cases were reported on January 5 and three other officially confirmed cases were reported on January 10).
According to a MoHSPP, the numbers have not changed for already seventeen days – the same 13,308 people infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the same 90 coronavirus-linked deaths and the same 13,218 cured COVID-19 patients have been reported in Tajikistan as of the evening of January 26.
Meanwhile, Radio Liberty notes that findings of investigation conducted by it last summer revealed that the actual number of lethal cases of COVID-19 in the country might be several times higher, including dozens of physicians and nurses who treated COVID-19 patients.
Recall, congregational prayers are expected to be held in mosques in Tajikistan after a ten-month break.
The Standing Committee on COVID-19 Response of Tajikistan, which is led by Prime Minister, on January 20 made a decision to reopen mosques for collective prayers on February 1.
The Ministry of Health and the Committee on Religious Affairs are ordered to determine the degree of danger of infection with coronavirus in mosques.
Control over the observance of anti-covid measures by mosques is entrusted to the Committee on Religious Affairs (CRA) and the Islamic Center.
Mosques in Tajikistan are still close for collective prayers. In Tajikistan, mosques were closed for collective prayers on March 4 but excluding burial rites, following the decision that was made by the Council of Ulema on March 3 in connection with the danger of a coronavirus epidemic. However, the mosques reopened for collective prayers on March 20. On April 17, the Council of Ulema (Tajikistan’s highest Islamic institution) told mosques to suspend public gatherings, including Friday prayers, beginning on April 18 to protect against the novel coronavirus.
