The number of coronavirus cases confirmed in Uzbekistan has increased by 10 to 75 in one day, the Ministry of Health said.

From 00:01 AM today, the ingress and egress from Tashkent city of all types of transport will be closed, including buses, cars, aircraft and rail transport. This decision was taken on Monday by the Special Republican Commission for the Control of Coronavirus, according to the Koronavirus Info Telegram channel.

On March 24, there will be showers in some areas of Uzbekistan, with the temperature dropping to +15 to +20 degrees. Only in the northern provinces there will be no precipitation, Uzhydromet reported.

Uzbekistan Airways cancels all domestic flights from 00:01 on March 24 for an indefinite period, the company said. The Uzbekistan Foreign Ministry also warned that due to the airline’s crew being quarantined after returning from countries with an unfavorable epidemiological situation, charter flights for carrying of foreign citizens from Uzbekistan are being delayed for three days.

Starting from March 24, all retail points of non-food products, construction materials, automotive, household appliances and others and shopping centers in Tashkent have been temporarily closed, the mayor’s office said.

According to the Health Ministry, the number of Uzbeks infected with coronavirus has reached 49. Two men who arrived from Russia, and the wife of a patient who returned from Turkey were tested positive for coronavirus.

The briefing on anti-coronavirus measures is being held with the participation of the chief of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance Authority/Chief State Sanitary Inspector Nurmat Otabekov. 

Starting from March 20, passenger bus, car, rail and air services to foreign destinations will be suspended for 40 days, the Ministry of Transport said.

Sherzod Asadov was appointed deputy foreign minister of Uzbekistan, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Prior to that, he worked as the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Austria and the Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other international organizations in Vienna.

Another 10 people were diagnosed with coronavirus in the morning of March 20, the Ministry of Health said, thus, bringing the total number of infected to 33 people.

The Uzbekistan Ministry of Justice commented on the statements by Gulnara Karimova on her possible returning to Uzbekistan of part of funds seized in foreign countries in exchange of her release.

Five more people were diagnosed with the coronavirus COVID-19, among whom three relatives of a woman who arrived from Paris, as well as in two passengers of flights from Istanbul and London. The number of confirmed cases reached 23, the Ministry of Health said.

According to the Health Ministry, the number of Uzbeks infected with coronavirus has reached 13. The wife of the man who arrived from London, who had previously been diagnosed with coronavirus, was also tested positive.

President of Uzbekistan on March 16 signed paving way for privatization of the state-owned Uzbekistan Publishing House, Gafur Gulom Publishing House and Teacher Publishing House.

On March 18, the Tashkent city criminal court ended the trial against Gulnara Karimova and members of the criminal group organized by her, the press service of the Supreme Court said in a statement.

Travel companies, public organizations and large industrial enterprises are recommended to suspend promoting domestic tourism until the situation with the spread of coronavirus in Uzbekistan is stabilized. This decision was made on March 17 by a special commission of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Tourism Committee said.

On March 17, the U.S. Embassy handed over personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Agency for Sanitary and Epidemiological Wellbeing (ASEW) as part of the United States’ second PPE donation to Uzbekistan to prepare for the potential spread of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19.

Durdona Rakhimova was appointed deputy mayor of Tashkent city in charge of youth policy, social development and education, replacing Elbek Shukurov, who in February was named the deputy minister of sports, the Tashkent city mayor's office said in a statement.

On March 16, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the Census Bill into Law. The document was passed by the Legislative Chamber on November 21 and approved by the Senate on February 28.

The government of Uzbekistan has decided to automatically extend the validity of all visas to foreign citizens currently in the country until April 10, with no overstay penalties to be levied, the Deputy PM Aziz Abdukhakimov said.