COVID-19 pandemic in Turkmenistan

The COVID-19 pandemic occurs in Turkmenistan is not yet officially in appearance. However, preventive measures have been taken in Turkmenistan. The authoritarian country officially reports no cases to the World Health Organization (WHO). The government is working to control reporting of the virus in the country; Experts suspect that it is spreading across the country unnoticed.

In Turkmenistan, standard international measures such as minimum distances between passers-by were not recommended until July 2020. In early April 2020, state television even showed thousands of people taking part in joint public fitness training, while in the rest of the world curfews had already been imposed or extensive contact restrictions had been imposed for the most part. So far, comparable decisions have only been observed in authoritarian countries around the world, for example during the COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus or during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan .

background

The COVID-19 pandemic began in the People's Republic of China in December 2019 and affects the outbreak of the novel disease COVID-19 . This is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the Coronaviridae group and is one of the respiratory diseases . From March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the outbreak of the novel coronavirus as a global pandemic .

On July 13, 2020, authorities called on citizens for the first time to wear protective masks - not because of the Covid risk, but because of the "high concentration of dust in the air". In the months before, the police had repeatedly prevented citizens from wearing protective masks.

Reactions and Actions in Turkmenistan

Government responses and actions

So far, the measures taken by the Turkmen government have primarily been directed at foreign countries. On February 29, 2020, Turkmenistan began refusing entry to citizens whose countries are officially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 5, three foreign travelers, including two diplomats from an Arab country, were refused entry to Turkmenistan due to the COVID-19 pandemic while flying in from Kazakhstan . Their flight was diverted to Turkmenabat and after arriving in Ashgabat , they were all flown out to Istanbul .

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all international flights to Turkmenistan will be diverted to Türkmenabat Airport, where extensive testing of travelers will take place

Since March 2020, all aircraft arriving in Turkmenistan from abroad have been diverted to Turkmenabat International Airport in order to prevent the import or spread of coronavirus infections. All passengers arriving from outside Turkmenistan will be screened for signs of the virus. If necessary, infected passengers are taken to an infectious disease hospital. The airport medical center is equipped with personal protective equipment. After a medical examination of the passengers, the plane flies with the passengers to the capital, Ashgabat . Departures from Turkmenistan are operated from Ashgabat International Airport . Most foreign airlines, however, canceled their flights to and from Turkmenistan due to declining passenger numbers. Passengers wishing to visit Turkmenistan must already have a negative COVID-19 test.

Additional checkpoints have been created around the major settlements of Turkmenistan, including the capital, Ashgabat. Before entering large cities, the body temperature of drivers or passengers is measured with infrared thermometers. This precaution also applies to passengers on all domestic flights.

On April 7, 2020, Turkmenistan celebrated World Health Day on a large scale as, according to the government, due to its own measures, a mild epidemiological situation was ensured in the country, although at the same time the COVID-19 situation remained tense worldwide. On April 9, the country set up a special medical force. This should test all citizens of Turkmenistan for the novel corona virus.

The President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov , said at an extraordinary meeting of the Turkish Council on April 10, 2020 on the COVID-19 situation in Turkmenistan:

"The hygienic and epidemiological situation in Turkmenistan is stable and under control"

- Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, April 10, 2020

Citizens' repatriations

Turkmenistan has brought its citizens back from COVID-19 infected countries such as China, Russia, Turkey and Belarus.

Sports and leisure area

The Turkmenistan Football Association has indefinitely suspended matches in all competitions. The planned restart was set for April 19, 2020.

Economic impact

Given the importance of trade with the People's Republic of China - which has been hard hit by the pandemic - to the country's economy, there are concerns about the economic impact of the pandemic in Turkmenistan. Turkmenportal , a news portal in Turkmen, Russian and English language editions and the first non-state news site in Turkmenistan, reported that a state program for industrialization has been taking place in Turkmenistan for several years in order to make itself less dependent on imports. Domestic companies are therefore supposedly producing a sufficient number of products such as protective equipment or pharmaceuticals, according to the report.

On April 3, the President of Turkmenistan ordered a complete revision of the state budget due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Various plans should be scrutinized and much-needed action taken to provide essential goods and support to private businesses in the context of the pandemic.

Criticism and controversy

Non-science-based recommendations

During the pandemic, recommended President Berdimuhamedov the combustion of the medicinal herb peganum to combat disease, although this has not been scientifically studied as a treatment for COVID-19 and he COVID-19 during the current pandemic of his theory neither explicitly mentioned as application still excluded.

International criticism of the handling of the pandemic

Turkmenistan met with broad criticism in dealing with the pandemic abroad. Among others, the Reporters Without Borders and various media, especially in Europe and North America reported that the whole issue "coronavirus" is taboo in the state media in the country and you could be arrested for wearing a mask in public.

In Turkmenistan, citizens are being arrested, according to reports talking about the coronavirus. Agents eavesdrop on citizens and arrest them, even if they are talking about the matter in private. According to foreign media, the regime apparently wanted to keep the topic silent.

The reports in many media that Turkmenistan had banned the word “coronavirus” were interpreted in a differentiated manner. In fact, it is partially avoided, but other official websites still mention it. However, there is agreement that the authorities and state media are trying to suppress information about the spread of the virus in the country.

See also

• List of epidemics and pandemics
• List of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic

Web links

• World Health Organization (WHO): Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports on the website www.who.int (English)
• Johns Hopkins CSSE : Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases. (English)
• Website World of Meters : real-time data of the Corona virus pandemic (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ВОЗ: В Таджикистане и Туркмении нет коронавируса
2. ↑ ^{a b} Turkmenistan’s Secretive Strongman Remains in Denial About the Pandemic . In: Foreign Policy . Retrieved April 12, 2020. 
3. ↑ Experts doubt isolated Turkmenistan's virus-free 'show' (en) . In: CTVNews , April 9, 2020. 
4. ↑ NTV: Despite Corona: Thousands at public fitness training in Turkmenistan . April 8, 2020. Online at www.n-tv.de. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
5. ↑ Pulmonologists on the net: Covid-19: Causes . Online at www.lungenaerzte-im-netz.de. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
6. ↑ Tagesschau: "Deeply worried". WHO speaks of corona pandemic . March 11, 2020. Online at www.tagesschau.de. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
7. ↑ https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/gesundheit/coronavirus/liveticker-zum-coronavirus-60-469-neuinfektiven-in-den-vereinigte-staat-16805804.html
8. ↑ Foreign Office: Turkmenistan: Travel and Safety Instructions . As of April 8, 2020. Online at www.auswaertiges-amt.de. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
9. ↑ No coronavirus cases officially registered in Turkmenistan .
10. ↑ Central Asia tightens restrictions as coronavirus spreads (en) . In: Reuters , March 21, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020. 
11. ↑ No coronavirus cases officially registered in Turkmenistan .
12. ↑ Авиарейсы из-за пределов Туркменистана временно перенаправляются в Туркменабат Общество . Retrieved March 20, 2020.
13. ↑ ^{a b} Туркменистан усиливает меры по предотвращению проникновения коронавируса Здоровье . Retrieved March 26, 2020.
14. ↑ [1]
15. ↑ [2]
16. ↑ https://mir24.tv/news/16405139/massovyi-veloprobeg-v-chest-dnya-zdorovya-proveli-v-ashhabade
17. ↑ [3]
18. ↑ [4]
19. ↑ [5]
20. ^ Turkic states agree to cooperate against COVID19 pandemic
21. ↑ Туркменистан вывозит своих граждан из стран зараженных короновирусом . March 26, 2020. Accessed March 30, 2020.
22. ↑ Туркмения вывозит граждан из стран с коронавирусом .
23. ↑ Turkmenistan exports its citizens from countries with the coronavirus Society . Retrieved March 30, 2020.
24. ↑ Диана Валавичюте: Все турниры под эгидой Федерации футбола Туркменистана приостановлены . Retrieved March 26, 2020.
25. ↑ ^{a b} Turkmenistan Has Banned Use Of The Word 'Coronavirus' (en) . In: NPR.org . Accessed April 1, 2020. 
26. ↑ Коронавирус - как противостоять пандемии .
27. ↑ Curfews extended as USAID declares aid suspension in Yemen | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200326212935/https://news.yahoo.com/iraq-lebanon-extend-government-restrictions-132113994 .html | date = 26. March 2020 by SARAH EL DEEB and MAGGIE MICHAEL, AP, March 26, 2020.
28. ↑ Президент Туркменистана распорядился пересмотреть Госбюджет в связи с пандемией коронавируса
29. ↑ Итоги развития Туркменистана в первом квартале 2020 года рассмотрены на заседании Правительства
30. ↑ Marc Bennetts: Turkmenistan's President Berdimuhamedov orders herb burning to halt coronavirus ( en ) Retrieved April 4, 2020.
31. ↑ Andrew E. Kramer, 'The Fields Heal Everyone': Post-Soviet Leaders' Coronavirus Denial . In: The New York Times . April 2, 2020. Accessed April 4, 2020.
32. ↑ [6]
33. ↑ TAZ: Turkmenistan forbids Corona: Out of sight… . April 1, 2020. Online at www.taz.de. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
34. ↑ FAZ: Number of infected people: Naturally zero . April 7, 2020. Online at www.faz.net. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
35. ↑ STERN: Silence instead of action In Turkmenistan, citizens are arrested who talk about the corona virus . April 1, 2020. Online at www.stern.de. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
36. ↑ Nau.ch: Turkmenistan no longer wants to mention the word "coronavirus" . March 31, 2020. Online at www.nau.ch. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
37. ^ Covid-19: Exercising together instead of isolation in Turkmenistan , deutschlandfunk.de, April 10, 2020
38. ↑ No, Turkmenistan has not banned the word "coronavirus" , web.de, accessed April 8, 2020