This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
On July 15, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern over reports of acute respiratory disease or pneumonia in Turkmenistan, a country with a population of around six million people.
At a press conference after a delayed, 10-day mission in the country, WHO's Senior Emergency Officer for Europe Catherine Smallwood recommended the government adopt measures including contact tracing 'as if COVID-19 were already circulating.'
Smallwood credited the government's 'recent activation of stronger measures' as part of efforts to prevent the potential spread of the virus in the country.
She added that authorities in Turkmenistan had conducted 60,000 coronavirus tests, citing official figures.
Smallwood warned that the actions taken in Turkmenistan would have an impact not only on the country's people but also throughout Central Asia, Europe, and the world.
State television showed President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov wearing a mask for the first time as he was pictured fishing while on holiday.
Law enforcement began apprehending citizens for not wearing masks after the health ministry warned of 'high concentrations of dust' and 'pathogens' in the air.
Speculation has been building that the authoritarian government in ex-Soviet Turkmenistan is preparing to acknowledge that the coronavirus has entered the country, even though health offices have not reported any infections.
