Kazakhstan: Officials implement coronavirus screening measures as of February 25 /update 2

Event

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare has implemented quarantine measures for individuals arriving from countries impacted by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as of Tuesday, February 25. All passengers arriving from mainland China will be subject to a 14-day quarantine at a designated medical facility. After the initial 14-day period, the individual’s health will be remotely monitored for another ten days by a healthcare professional. Travelers arriving from Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan will be under medical surveillance for 14 days by medical professionals in the person’s location, followed by another ten days of remote observation via phone calls. Health officials have also recommended that travelers from those countries limit contact with others and follow a 14-day self-quarantine. Anyone arriving from Malaysia, Vietnam, Germany, Australia, US, UAE, Canada, or Italy will be required to confirm their health status via daily phone calls with health professionals for 24 days or until they leave the country.

Additional quarantine measures and other entry restrictions may be implemented over the coming days and weeks. As of Tuesday, no cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Kazakhstan. Further international spread of the disease is expected over the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Human-to-human and patient-to-medical staff transmission of the virus have been confirmed. Many of the associated fatalities have been due to pneumonia caused by the virus.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in more than 30 countries and territories worldwide. Virus screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions. On February 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 outbreak is a "very grave threat."

Pneumonia symptoms include dry cough, chest pain, fever, and labored breathing. Pneumonia can be contagious and can be transmitted from human to human. The influenza virus, or the flu, is a common cause of viral pneumonia.

Advice

Individuals traveling to Kazakhstan are advised to monitor the situation, confirm travel itineraries, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities and their home government.

To reduce the general risk of transmission, travelers are advised to abide the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
• When coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue - throw tissue away immediately and wash hands
• If you have fever, cough, and difficulty breathing seek medical care early and share previous travel history with your health care provider
• Adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities and their home governments

In the case that symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness emerge either during or after travel, travelers are encouraged to seek medical attention and share their travel history with their health care provider. Travelers returning from China who develop symptoms of pneumonia are advised to call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to avoid potential spread of the disease.