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Russia to donate 50,000 more coronavirus test systems to Kazakhstan

In the wake of the worsening epidemic situation, on July 5 Kazakhstan imposed additional restrictions for the next 14 days, with the possibility to extend or tighten them

MOSCOW, July 9. /TASS/. Amid the worsening epidemic situation in Kazakhstan, Russia will deliver 50,000 more testing systems for coronavirus to the republic, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

"In coming days, due to the worsening epidemic situation, additional 50,000 test systems and reagents will be donated to the republic," Zakharova said. "Aid is also delivered to Kazakhstan by Russian non-profit organizations. It includes more than 100,000 masks, 20,000 pairs of gloves, thermometers, sanitizers and much more, since this list is not complete and there are lots of other things, which representatives of the Russian civil sector will send in July to Kazakh regions."

The diplomat said that the first batch of medical aid from the Russian non-profit organizations will be delivered to the Central Asian republic on July 15. She added that Russia had already donated 18,000 testing kits to Kazakhstan during the pandemic.

The state of emergency was in force in Kazakhstan from March 16 until May 11. Nevertheless, lockdown restrictions are still in effect in some regions. In the wake of the worsening epidemic situation, on July 5 Kazakhstan imposed additional restrictions for the next 14 days, with the possibility to extend or tighten them.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.