ALMATY (Ruptly) – Almaty’s shopping centres, gyms, swimming pools, hairdressers and beauty salons remained empty on Monday after Kazakhstan reintroduced a nationwide lockdown on Sunday after a spike in COVID-19 cases.

The authorities said the restrictions would be in force for two weeks, as the country recorded 1,403 new cases on Monday. The country’s previous lockdown finished on May 11.

Kazakhstan has recorded some 48,600 COVID-19 cases and at least 188 coronavirus-related deaths since the beginning of the epidemic, according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University.