NUR-SULTAN / ex ASTANA 13 (Xinhua) — Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev tweeted on Monday that the country will extend the coronavirus lockdown by two weeks until the end of July.

There are first signs that the situation begins to improve and the next two weeks are essential to stabilize the epidemiological situation, Tokayev wrote.

The president noted that the government will offer financial aid of 42,500 tenge (≈$103) to those who have lost their source of income in July due to the lockdown.

Almaty converts stadium into temporary hospital

Almaty city mayor Bakytzhan Sagintayev (L) inspects the construction of a temporary COVID-19 hospital in the sports stadium Halyk Arena in Almaty, Kazakhstan, July 11, 2020. Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty has converted a stadium into a temporary hospital to receive COVID-19 patients.
(Credit: Almaty City Administration)

Kazakhstan began a 14-day lockdown on July 5. Public transport in major cities has been limited, and passenger rail and bus services within the country are restricted. Beauty salons, gyms, spas, museums, indoor markets as well as other places have suspended operations. Over 80 percent of civil servants and state-owned company employees are required to work from home.

The country is grappling with a major resurgence in COVID-19 cases after the lifting of the state of emergency on May 11. As of Monday, Kazakhstan has recorded 59,899 confirmed cases and 375 deaths, with 34,190 recoveries.