Since December 3, new restrictions have been introduced in Kazakhstan due to the omicron strain

Today, at a meeting of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, First Vice Minister of Health Marat Shoranov said that the interdepartmental commission decided to introduce some restrictions in Kazakhstan from December 3 this year in order to prevent the import and spread of a new variant of the strain of coronavirus infection "Omicron".
The following measures were taken by the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs:
- restrict entry to Kazakhstan of foreign citizens from Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, Eswatini, Tanzania and Hong Kong;
- to introduce a mandatory PCR test, regardless of vaccination, for persons arriving from countries where cases of CVI caused by the Omicron variant have been detected: to date, these are Israel, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Australia, Canada and Egypt;
- persons arriving from countries where cases of CVI caused by Omicron have been detected, regardless of the result of the PCR test, should self-isolate for 7 days (home quarantine);
- taking into account the passenger traffic with Egypt (November more than 13 thousand people) and the detection in Belgium of a case of CVI caused by Omicron in a person arriving from Egypt, suspend air traffic with Egypt;
- continue sequencing of coronavirus infection strains circulating in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
According to preliminary WHO data, the omicrom strain is more dangerous than the Delta version and spreads faster.
These restrictive measures will come into force on December 3, 2021.