CORONOVIRUS (COVID-19)
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.
The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face.
The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).
At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
THE ORGANIZATION OF FINAL AND ENTRANCE EXAMS
On 30 April, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on the quality completion of the current academic year, the organization of final and entrance exams.
In a pandemic, the learning process is based on distance technologies, 500 thousand students and 7 million students from more than 10 thousand educational institutions are covered by online lessons. This new mechanism ensures uninterrupted learning.
Now the challenge is the quality of the completion of the academic year. Taking into account the experience of foreign countries and the current situation, it is planned to conduct final exams at universities in an online form.
At the meeting, instructions were given on the quality organization of these processes.
The necessity of improving the system of receiving documents to educational institutions, creating the possibility of filing documents remotely, via the Internet is noted. The public will be informed in detail about the new procedures and amenities.
https://www.uzdaily.uz/en/post/56546
FROM APRIL 30, SOME QUARANTINE RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN RELAXED IN UZBEKISTAN
Starting from April 30, 2020, some quarantine restrictions are being relaxed in Uzbekistan.
According to the decision of the Special Republican Commission, from 7:00 to 10:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00 it is allowed to use personal and service cars with passengers, as well as bicycles and motor vehicles for trips to and from work, as well as for the purchase of goods essentials, medicines, medical products and food.
Citizens who violate this procedure are considered to be violators of quarantine requirements and will be held accountable. The vehicle driven by them will be placed in the penalty parking lot.
Citizens are allowed to take walks in the immediate vicinity of high-rise buildings and in courtyards with the condition of wearing masks and maintaining social distance. At the same time, children under the age of 14 must take walks accompanied by adults.
Managers and faculty of universities and research institutes are allowed to resume scientific work in laboratories and departments.
The Commission also allowed movement between cities, districts and regions, as well as the entry and exit from Tashkent of all types of personal and service cars of legal entities and individuals involved in the cultivation of agricultural products.
The commission also instructed the internal affairs bodies to assist them in the quick delivery of products to the desired address along convenient routes.
At the same time, citizens are required to comply with sanitary rules when visiting public places, markets and shopping malls, as well as when using motor vehicles.
https://www.uzdaily.uz/en/post/56540
PRESIDENT SIGNS A DECREE ON ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO SUPPORT THE POPULATION AND BUSINESSES DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
On 27 April, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree “On additional measures to support the population and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.”
The document notes that from 1 April to 1 October, the donation to the Mahalla charity public foundation, the Kindness and Support foundation, the Uzbekiston Mehr-shavkat va salomatlik public foundation, including their branches in Karakalpakstan, regions, Tashkent, districts and cities, as well as individuals included in the list of people in need of social support, formed by khokimiyats:
cash and goods (services) are considered as deductible expenses when calculating income tax (rate of 15%);
of goods (services) is exempted from value added tax (rate of 15%) and is not included in the object of taxation on value added tax (rate of 4%).
The decree states that gratuitous assistance (cash, goods and services) received from the Mahalla Charitable Public Foundation of Uzbekistan, the Kindness and Support foundation, and the Uzbekistan Mekhr-Shavkat va Salomatlik Public foundation are not considered as income of individuals. , legal entities and individuals, if they are included in the list of individuals in need of social support, formed by local government bodies.
Individuals are entitled to an interest-free deferral of payment of tax on personal income received from renting residential premises to individuals and non-residential premises to business entities whose activities were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, the amount of the deferred on the payment of personal income tax is payable in equal installments by 1 April 2021.
The amount of lease interest accrued and deferred by leasing enterprises is not included in the total income when calculating income tax during the period of granted deferment.
The procedure for compensation by the State Fund for the Support of Entrepreneurship of interest costs on loans from commercial banks also extends to existing loan agreements of business entities.
In Uzbekistan, a procedure is being introduced according to which, in 2020, the amount of material assistance not subject to personal income tax paid to an employee increases from 4.22 to 7.5 times of the minimum wage.
The President agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction, the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan to write off the amount of pension indebtedness for excessively paid pensions identified as a result of checks on the correctness of the appointment and payment of pensions, as of 20 April 2020.
From 1 May 2020, pensions are paid to working pensioners directly by the extrabudgetary Pension Fund under the Ministry of Finance (with the exception of persons receiving a pension at the expense of the State Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan).
The deadline for the provision of interest-free deferment (installment plan) for tax payments on a simplified basis, envisaged in paragraph 6 of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated April 3, 2020 No. UP – 5978 “On Additional Measures to Support the Population, Economic Sectors, and Entrepreneurships during the Coronavirus Pandemic”, is extended until December 31, 2020.
Take into account that local government bodies have the right to independently determine the period during which the subsequent amount of taxes will be paid, for which a deferral (installment plan) is granted, but no more than two years.
https://www.uzdaily.uz/en/post/56468
SINGAPORE-BASED MIRXES PASSES PCR TESTS FOR CORONAVIRUS DETECTION TO UZBEKISTAN
A ceremony was held in Singapore to transfer 5,000 PCR tests to the Republic of Uzbekistan for the detection of the COVID-2019 coronavirus produced by the Singapore-based company MIRXES, Dunyo news agency reported.
This charity event was organized with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, sponsorship of the TEMASEK FOUNDATION Foundation and the Singapore Institute for Management Development (MDIS).
PCR tests will be transported to Uzbekistan in the coming days with the Uzbekistan Airways special flight via Seoul (Republic of Korea) with financial support from Singapore-based Indorama Corporation Pte Ltd and the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Republic of Korea.
Valuable cargo was handed over by the Singapore side to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan to Singapore, Kahramon Shakirov.
During the ceremony, TEMASEK FOUNDATION Executive Director Benedict Cheong noted that it was a great honor for him and his organization to provide modest assistance to friendly Uzbekistan in its fight against the spread of coronavirus.
In turn, the president of the Institute for Management Development of Singapore (MDIS) Eric Kuan emphasized that on behalf of his university he welcomed the decisive and comprehensive measures taken by the leadership of Uzbekistan in the fight against COVID-19, and being a reliable partner and friend of Uzbekistan to facilitate the efforts of the Uzbek government I am pleased to contribute to government efforts to curb the spread of the epidemic.
https://www.uzdaily.uz/en/post/56371
2019-2020 ACADEMIC YEAR IN UZBEKISTAN TO END ONLINE
The Republican Special Commission adopted a decision to end 2019-2020 academic year in Uzbekistan with online lessons.
According to the decisions, the 2019/2020 academic year in organizations and institutions of the public education system will be completed by remote television video courses organized as part of the Online-Maktab project.
Teachers and employees of the public education system (educational institutions, organizations, regional branches) necessary for organizing the distance learning process will continue their work remotely (with payment of wages).
https://www.uzdaily.uz/en/post/56281
DECISION OF THE REPUBLICAN SPECIAL COMMISSION: NEW PROCEDURES INTRODUCED
The Republican Special Commission is conducting consistent and systematic work to prevent the entry and spread of a new type of coronavirus in Uzbekistan.
At the same time, due to the fact that the epidemiological situation in our country has not yet stabilized, and the spread of coronavirus infection in the world continues to grow, it is stated that it is advisable to maintain the restrictive measures introduced by the World Health Organization in connection with the coronavirus pandemic.
Based on the fact that all restrictions introduced by the Republican Special Commission to this day, in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, have been extended until 10 May 2020, the following is reported:
Validity of visas issued for foreign citizens is automatically extended until June 1 of the current year.
It is permitted to organize the sale of non-food products (clothing, household goods, seedlings, seeds) through outlets with full compliance with sanitary and hygienic requirements. At the same time, compliance with social distance (2 meters) and other sanitary and hygienic rules is mandatory.
Validity periods of all permits (licenses and permits), as well as identity documents (civil passport, residence permit in Uzbekistan), documents required for vehicles (insurance policy, power of attorney for driving a vehicle, documents confirming registration (re-registration) of the vehicle and technical examination), which end during quarantine, are extended until 1 July 2020. Liability measures and other measures in connection with the expiration of their validity period are not applied.
Taking into account the fact that during the quarantine period the procedure for calculating pensions only on bank plastic cards is established, the procedure for not charging fees for operations on plastic cards of pensioners is introduced.
A mechanism is being introduced for the remote receipt of an electronic digital signature key.
Non-linear taxi drivers licensed to provide delivery services must operate in “special overalls” (personal protective clothing), medical gloves and masks.
The receipt and consideration of applications for the issuance of licenses related to the activities for the carriage of passengers, and their issuance are temporarily suspended until May 10, 2020.
Non-governmental medical organizations are allowed to comply with all requirements to provide paid medical services for laboratory examination for coronavirus infection until 1 September 2020 on the basis of an agreement concluded by the heads of the regional centers for sanitary and epidemiological welfare.
Also, additional measures are being established to further strengthen disinfection work on dehkan markets operating in the regions of the republic.
In particular, in dehkan markets, including large grocery stores located outside the market square, a “zigzag pattern” is organized (using pipes, ribbons and other similar means) with a social distance of 2 meters.
At the entrance to each market, a “disinfection tunnel” and a “sanitary post” are organized, disinfection groups are created to ensure compliance with quarantine requirements on the market.
The procedures described above are noteworthy in that, on the one hand, they are aimed at preventing the widespread spread of coronavirus infection, and on the other, at ensuring the health and social protection of our citizens during the quarantine period.
https://www.uzdaily.uz/en/post/56242
Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan Implement Tentative Coronavirus Exit Strategies
Following weeks of strict lockdowns across their countries, authorities in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have begun easing restrictions on movement in the hope of limiting the scope of economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Health officials warn, however, that the danger has not passed.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on April 29 that to avoid financial losses to companies working in the agricultural sector, he would allow the movement of vehicles transporting fruit and vegetables between cities and regions.
Two key, currently blocked, points of passage are the Kamchik Pass, over which trucks carrying produce from the Ferghana Valley and Tashkent must travel, and the roads between Samarkand and the western semiautonomous republic of Karakalpakstan. Mirziyoyev said a food security commission at the Prosecutor General’s Office would oversee the resumption of freight traffic on those routes.
Rules are also to be loosened for the general public. Motorists will from April 30 be allowed to use their cars between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m for the purposes of going to work, buying medicine and shopping for essentials. In recognition of the changing seasons, parents will be able to take their children for walks, but only to locations near their homes.
Mirziyoyev advised against abandoning caution though.
“If we do not all strictly adhere to requirements, and enforce hygiene standards and quarantine seriously, everything we have done, all the measures we have adopted, may turn out to have been useless,” he said.
https://eurasianet.org/uzbekistan-kazakhstan-implement-tentative-coronavirus-exit-strategies
