ASGHABAT (Orient) - Due to the cornavirus pandemic, Turkmens aged 50 and older have been prohibited from travelling between the regions of the country.

Since 1 November, travel between Turkmenistan’s provinces has been allowed only for legitimate reasons, such as medical treatment or business purposes. From now on, people over 50 years of age are no longer allowed to leave their region.

In recent weeks, additional restrictions have been introduced in Turkmenistan, such as a ban on marketplaces, an extension of the suspension of international flights and tighter controls on the wearing of masks. Such tightening seems to indicate the worsening of the health situation in Turkmenistan despite the categorical denial by the authorities of the existence of cases of COVID-19 in the country.

The Chronicles of Turkmenistan previously reported that on 13 November, officials of the Turkmen Ministry of Health and Medical Industry acknowledged in a closed session a difficult situation and ordered the chief doctors of the infectious disease control services to renovate premises and replace hospital beds.