Tajikistan has finally admitted it is in the throes of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis,

According to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSPP), fifteen confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in the country as of April 29 – ten cases in the Sughd province and five cases in Dushanbe.

This was officially announced today at an extraordinary session of the Republican Commission for Prevention of the Spread of COVID-19, which was presided over by Prime Minister Qohir Rasoulzoda, according to the national news agency Khovar.  

The Commission also notes that the wearing of face masks has become mandatory for all nationals of the country.

By Commission’s decision summer vacation has been announced for the first-, second- and third-year students.  University graduates must pass their exams by May 15.  

Recall, health officials had previously said that it was pneumonia to be sweeping through the population.

According to data from a MoHSPP, 10,937 people were taken under a mandatory two-week quarantine after arriving in Tajikistan from abroad between February 1 and April 30.  It added that more than 2,000 people have been still in quarantine as of April 30 and none of those 8,438 released people had the coronavirus.