A man makes handicrafts in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on May 8, 2020. Uzbekistan has eased lockdown restrictions and introduced red, yellow and green levels as of May 8, the Special Republican Commission to Combat Coronavirus said Thursday. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua)
TASHKENT, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan has eased lockdown restrictions and introduced red, yellow and green levels as of May 8, the Special Republican Commission to Combat Coronavirus said Thursday.
The decision was made based on an assessment of the sanitary and epidemiological situation of COVID-19.
In red zones, existing quarantine restrictions are maintained, which may be revised depending on the development of the situation, but all necessary infrastructure, food and construction markets, banks, pharmacies and delivery services remain operational.
Citizens are allowed to walk near their homes as long as they wear a mask and adhere to social distancing measures. They can also drive twice a day for necessary shopping or work.
The yellow zones, which include the capital city Tashkent, and green zones have more relaxed rules to allow many businesses to run following sanitary rules.
However, regardless of the quarantine levels, a number of restrictions such as a ban on mass cultural and sporting events, and clothing markets remain intact and people must maintain social distancing rules and wear masks, the commission said.
Uzbekistan has registered 2,266 confirmed cases so far and has locked down all major cities to contain the spread of the pandemic.
