Kazakh capital reintroduces COVID curbs amid Omicron circulation

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM – Chief sanitary officer of Nur-Sultan city Sarkhat Beisenova announced the COVID curbs are to be reintroduced in the Kazakh capital amid the circulation of the Omicron strain, Kazinform correspondent reports.

While speaking at the press briefing on Wednesday, Ms Beisenova said the epidemiological situation in the city has deteriorated due to the fact that residents do not respect face masking, social distancing and do not vaccinate. This, according to her, led to the spread of the highly contagious Omicron strain in the city and reintroduction of the COVID curbs.

The Kazakh capital has recently returned to the high-risk ‘red’ zone in terms of spread of the coronavirus infection. Given that, the chief sanitary officer decreed to ban both indoor and outdoor mass events and shut down theaters, concert halls, circuses, and cinema theaters.

Mass religious events, conference, exhibitions, workshops, and forums have been banned as well.

In addition, schoolchildren and students of universities and colleges will return to distance learning in Nur-Sultan.

Online classes for schoolchildren were introduced until 31 January 2022. As for students, they will switch to distance learning until 6 February 2022.