ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Authorities in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, have reinstated mandatory mask-wearing in closed public spaces and public transportation as COVID-19 cases in the Central Asian nation have been on rise in recent weeks.
The city authorities also announced on July 12 that individuals who have been in contact with coronavirus patients and those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 for health reasons, including pregnant women, can now work only from home.
The restrictions also require meetings of more than 10 people to be held online.
There were 482 new coronavirus cases registered across the nation in the 24-hour period ending on July 12.
In early June, the number of coronavirus cases started abruptly increasing in the former Soviet republic, mainly in Almaty, which has a population of almost 2 million people.
More than 1.3 million cases of the coronavirus have been registered in Kazakhstan since March 2020. More than 3,650 of them died.