COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan
The COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have spread to Tajikistan when its index cases, in Dushanbe and Khujand, were confirmed on 30 April 2020.[6]
Background[edit]
On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[7][8] The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[9][10] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[11][9]
Consequences[edit]
Press freedom in Tajikistan[edit]
Tajikistan expert Odinasho Sharopov explains why there is an effective media blackout on COVID-19 reporting. The Central Asian country has for years been at the bottom of press freedom indexes.
The media is under government control in every possible way. Content on electronic media such as television and radio stations is especially tightly controlled. Most media outlets are owned by the government.
Independent television and radio stations have been forced to tighten their grip on self-censorship for fear of losing their licenses. So they mainly produce entertainment. But it is obvious that the prosecution of these media organizations for criticism also plays a role.
In freedom of speech ratings from around the globe, various reputable international organizations have put Tajikistan at the very end in recent years. And now, several dozen Tajik journalists, who worked in these publications, have in the meantime received asylum in Europe — including in Germany.[82]
Statistics[edit]
Infections[edit]
Here are the cases listed which were reported to the WHO by national authorities. Because the situation is very dynamic, there may be differences or delays between the data of WHO and the data from national authorities as well as the information from other sources, such as Johns Hopkins University (CSSE).[83]