COVID-19: Uzbekistan Plans Second Lockdown Starting July 10

The global death toll from the coronavirus is approaching 547,000, with almost 12 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.

Here’s a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL’s broadcast regions.

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan will impose a second lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus as cases spike in Central Asia’s most populous nation of 32 million people.

The government’s special commission on measures to curb the outbreak said on July 8 that the new lockdown will be start on July 10 and run until August 1.

The new rules will take effect almost a month after the government eased its original lockdown on June 15.

According to the commission, public transportation, including interregional links, will be restricted, and markets, large nonfood shops, parks, and entertainment and sports venues will be closed.

The measures will also ban family celebrations and ceremonies during the period.

Almost all employees at state companies and entities will work remotely, while meetings and conferences will be held via videolink.

Outdoor gatherings of more than three people will be prohibited and the movement of individuals over the age of 65 will be restricted.

Uzbekistan’s health authorities said on July 8 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country had reached 10,838, including 41 deaths.

Balkans

Austria has issued a travel warning for several Balkan countries after clusters of positive coronavirus tests were found in the Central European nation among people who had arrived from the region.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a news conference on July 8 that the warnings are for Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova, and mean that anyone arriving from one of those nations must show a negative test for the virus or isolate themselves for 14 days.

The Austrian government said it is also increasing checks at border crossings with Hungary and Slovenia to control the situation.

The announcement comes a day after Romania’s Foreign Ministry said 99 Romanian nationals tested positive for the coronavirus in the Austrian city of Linz. Most of those with positive tests were migrant workers.

With reporting by RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, Reuters, and Antena3.ro