Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 29 April, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a video-conference on the issues of guaranteed provision of the population with foodstuffs of basic types and maintaining stable prices in a pandemic.

At the beginning of the event, the head of state dwelled on the consequences of the natural disaster that occurred on the night of 27 April in Bukhara, Navoi, Samarkand, Kashkadarya regions, measures to eliminate them, as well as ongoing work in the country to combat coronavirus infection. Addressing the general public, the President noted in particular:

- As you know, yesterday I visited the Bukhara region and directly got acquainted with the situation. Together with the Republican Commission formed on this issue and local officials, we discussed in detail the upcoming work in the affected regions and outlined appropriate measures.

I want to assure you that the state and the government will take all measures in time to provide assistance to organizations and households and citizens affected by the disaster.

I repeat, not a single person, not a single family will be left alone with this unforeseen disaster.

I would like to dwell on the epidemiological situation in the country and the ongoing work to combat the pandemic.

It should be especially noted that at the moment 1066 people or 55 percent of cases have fully recovered. Over the past 5 days, 505 patients have recovered.

All necessary measures are being taken to treat the remaining 894 patients in cooperation with 18 Chinese, German, and South Korean doctors who provide practical assistance in our country, as well as with other leading specialists through telemedicine.

Recently, I signed another important resolution aimed at adequately stimulating the dedicated and highly responsible work of our country's medical workers fighting the disease. So, the salary of about 11 thousand medical workers of the sanitary-epidemiological service of all categories has been increased 2.5 times.

In general, due to the timely establishment of quarantine restrictions and the fact that our people patiently abide by them, we were able to prevent the spread of infection in many areas and cities.

Dear compatriots!

I want to openly express to our public the thought that bothers me.

For more than a month and a half, our people, following the call "Stay home," showing great courage, live in general quarantine. For our people, who are not used to sitting idle, putting up families, children above all else, working day and night for their good, this forced isolation, of course, is not easy.

Our compatriots show true patience, responsibility, kindness and care during this difficult time of trials.

The international community recognizes and appreciates this.

I take this opportunity to express special gratitude to all our doctors, including workers and ambulance drivers who show genuine heroism at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic.

Thanks to law enforcement officers, brave military personnel, heads and employees of ministries and departments, khokimiyats, our esteemed representatives of the older generation, mahalla activists and generous entrepreneurs, scientists, teachers and teachers, creative intelligentsia and imam-khatibs.

I express on my own behalf and on behalf of our people the gratitude to the representatives of the mass media, conscientiously fulfilling their professional duty in the current difficult conditions, selfless youth who set an example of humanism, acting in the ranks of the volunteer movement.

Dear friends!

Considering that the sanitary-epidemiological situation in our country is gradually stabilizing, and also after consulting with specialists, we came to the conclusion that the time has come to take the following steps to phase out the quarantine.

After all, life goes on. We must not for a moment forget about tomorrow, the future of our people.

Firstly, taking into account the positive dynamics of the development of the sanitary-epidemiological situation, weather conditions and numerous appeals of citizens, it is necessary to allow parents and children to walk only in the courtyards of apartment buildings and adjacent territories. This requires strict adherence to security measures.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Guard to take measures to unconditionally execute this order.

In this regard, the city of Tashkent should be an example.

Secondly, in order to prevent the loss of ripened agricultural products, as well as in response to requests from the population, interregional and intercity transportation should be allowed for the delivery and sale of fruits and vegetables and melons grown by farmers and dehkans.

For example, before, a large volume of agricultural products was delivered to the capital and other regions from the Ferghana Valley through the Kamchik pass. Now this path is closed. Or Samarkand region supplied many products to the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the city of Zarafshan and other regions. Now these paths are blocked. In this regard, the commission on food safety, led by the Prosecutor General, is tasked with organizing a system of round-the-clock delivery of agricultural products to the field.

To the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure the meeting of vehicles of dekhkans and farms at inter-regional posts and their organized follow-up to fairs and outlets.

The State Tax Committee, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Ministry of the Interior should orient the agricultural products delivered for sale to trading floors, fairs and markets, based on local needs and needs.

Thirdly, taking into account the decrease in the dynamics of infection among the population, I consider it advisable to gradually ease the restrictions on the use of personal vehicles.

The Republican Commission to introduce a procedure in accordance with which, in the regions in which the relevant restrictions are introduced, citizens are allowed to use their own vehicles from 7:00 to 10:00 in the morning and from 17:00 to 20:00 in the evening.

Determine that in this case:

the use of personal vehicles is allowed primarily for trips of citizens to work, to medical institutions and returning home, in order to purchase consumer goods, medicines and medical supplies;

Citizens with special permissions (stickers) and delivery services can use their own vehicles without any restrictions.

At the same time, it seems possible to allow our esteemed scientists, employees of research institutes, professors and teachers to continue their activities in their laboratories and departments in compliance with sanitary standards. We must provide them with the opportunity to gradually prepare for the organization of further scientific and educational process.

Of course, as the situation improves, we will continue to work more confidently to gradually mitigate the quarantine regime after 10 May.

However, I repeat: widespread compliance with sanitary requirements should be a priority.

Over the past time, our country has accumulated important experience in the fight against a pandemic. Now we should use it effectively for the prevention and control of infectious diseases, the strict observance of sanitary and hygienic rules and the improvement of the medical culture as a whole.

I emphasize that if we all do not strictly adhere to these requirements, take sanitary standards and quarantine seriously, all that we have done before, all the measures taken may turn out to be useless.

Most importantly, we should not forget for a moment that our health depends on ourselves, and at the same time, the health of the whole people depends on everyone, on our consciousness, discipline and patience.

Dear meeting participants!

At the meeting of 20 April, it was instructed to resume the activities of enterprises in areas and cities free of the virus, with strict observance of quarantine rules.

At the same time, I repeat that work must be restored slowly, thoroughly thought out, and only to those enterprises that will fully comply with quarantine rules.

So, in Namangan region out of more than 10 thousand enterprises that have suspended activities or are working with low workload, a decision has been made to restore the work of 2,854. The issue of permission to resume work of another 851 enterprises is being considered.

Of the 3 350 inactive enterprises in Khorezm region, 448 will be restored; this issue is being studied in relation to another 409 enterprises.

In Jizzakh region, out of more than 6 thousand enterprises that reduced production capacities, a decision was made to restore the activity of 534, issue 332 is being considered.

In Tashkent region, out of 14 thousand enterprises whose production volumes decreased significantly, it was decided to resume activities 5,399, and the study of 2,833 enterprises is ongoing.

Today, khokims and sector leaders in their reports should provide information on how the work on resuming enterprises is organized, as well as personally ensure that the quarantine rules are fully respected in them.