Kazakhstan bans new year parties to contain coronavirus

In a bid to contain coronavirus, Kazakhstan has banned corporate parties and sporting events over new year holidays and tightened quarantine measures. Restrictions on mass gatherings will come into force on December 25 and will remain in effect till January 5, said a statement released by the office of the prime minister.

Authorities said that restrictions at Tengiz oilfield will contine "until the epidemiological situation stabilises". Hundreds of employees have contracted coronavirus at Tengiz oilfield.

The government also said that it would introduce price controls to make medicines used to treat the virus 24 percent cheaper on average, the statement said. 

Year-end corporate parties are an important source of income for Kazakh hospitality sector. The sector has taken a beating over the last year.

Kazakhstan's chief sanitary doctor warned in May that the Tengiz oil field where US oil giant Chevron has a 50 percent stake could face closure over rising cases.  

Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country of around 19 million people, has registered 146,584 cases of the coronavirus with 130,766 recoveries and 2,147 deaths. 

(With AFP inputs)