The COVID –19 Tajikistan Situation Report # 109 June 2020, which was produced by the Office of UN Resident Coordinator and OCHA HAT in collaboration with international partners and covers the period of June 2-8, 2020, says that Tajikistan’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSPP) reported that as of June 8, 1,701 healthcare workers (36% of total official number) have been infected with COVID‐19 since  the  beginning  of  the  outbreak, including  619  medical  doctors  and  548  nurses.

The main reason is reported to be the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly at the beginning of the outbreak.  

The report says that during the reporting week (June 2-8), the  diagnostic testing capacity  in  the  country  stood at around 450 –500 specimens per day processed by six laboratories in Dushanbe city (including one private laboratory) and by another three laboratories in Bokhtar, Khujand and Kulob cities..   

Citing MoHSPP, the report says that during the reporting period, a total of 81 hospitals and sanatoriums throughout the country have been designated for quarantine and treatment of confirmed cases of COVID‐19 with a total capacity of 8,006 hospital beds.

The report also notes that on June 6, a Polish Emergency Medical Team (EMT) consisting of 16 experts arrived in Tajikistan, along with three WHO experts.  It is expected that Polish EMT will travel to different regions of the country to support medical staff in healthcare institutions.  On June 9, a first group left for the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).

Deployment of Emergency Medical Teams and Rapid Response Mobile Laboratories from Russian Federation and United Kingdom in frames of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) is expected in the coming weeks, according to the report.

Recall, 4,763 officially confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Tajikistan as of the evening of June 10. 2,947 COVID-19 patients have reportedly recovered as of June 10, 2020.  No coronavirus-linked deaths were reported on June 10, according to MoHSPP.  The number of COVID-19-related deaths reportedly remains the same in Tajikistan – 48.    

All  the  public  facilities,  clothing  markets, shopping malls, beauty salons, sanatoriums, restaurants and others, which have been temporary closed due to COVID-19 related epidemiological situation will re-open  as  of  15  June  2020,  in  line  with  the decision   of   the   Inter-Agency   Standing Committee on COVID-19 Response.