Turkmenabat: Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, Turkmenistan situated in Central Asia is among the very few countries that have not recorded any case of COVID-19 infections. Experts believe it is unlikely that the country has been left untouched by the pandemic and chalk it up to the Turkmen government not being forthcoming about the exact information on the global health crisis and its impact on the country.
July 6, WHO Europe’s regional director Hans Kluge tweeted that a special team was finally on its way to Turkmenistan to assess the situation in the country after several months of discussion.
Turkmenistan’s take on COVID-19?
In early February, Turkmenistan cancelled flights to China and other nations with high rates of COVID-19 infections. It also diverted all incoming international flights to Turkmenabat, the country’s second-largest city where a special quarantine zone was set up to check passengers for COVID symptoms.
In March, Turkmenistan reportedly shut most of its land borders to curb the entry of incoming passengers. Due to strict government controls over the dissemination of information, it is difficult to assess the ground situation in context of COVID-19 in the country.
The Ground Reality in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan marked World Health Day April 7 by gathering citizens for a mass exercise session. The country’s state television broadcaster showed hundreds of people wearing tracksuits cycling in close proximity in Ashgabat. In other images, government employees and medical staff were seen performing a wide range of exercises like stretches, skipping inside and outside public buildings.
Experts believe the government’s insistence on holding these mass exercise events despite the public health crises may be because of the Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow’s own interest in physical fitness and is a major part of his public image.
According to a BBC report, passengers flying into Turkmenistan were being tested for COVID-19 but there were no available figures to show the exact number of tests being conducted. The report suggested that hospitals in the country had also been preparing for potential coronavirus cases and movement between cities in the country has been restricted.
For the past few months, outdoor places such as restaurants, pubs, cafes have been operating with large public attendance without the use of masks or proper social distancing protocols.
What is happening currently?
Despite the ongoing visit by WHO officials in Turkmenistan, researchers have said that the international organisation has not given any public updates concerning investigations that it may have conducted since the mission’s arrival in the country.
This past week, the government announced that people should wear face masks but claimed it was only to protect them from high levels of dust. The country’s health ministry also issued health advice that recommended rinsing the mouth with salt water and using yuzarlik, a herb used in traditional medicine, recommended by the country’s president.
In April, the president had said that burning yuzarlik would ward off the virus, although scientific evidence does not suggest so. Following the president’s recommendation, reports suggested that markets and offices in the country were being fumigated with smoke from yuzarlik.
PNN/Agencies