Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- As a result of the spread of coronavirus, many countries have begun to take precautions. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Mongolia and Malaysia closed the border with China to prevent an outbreak in their countries. A number of countries, including Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Russia, the Czech Republic and others, have also introduced visa restrictions for Chinese citizens. How should Uzbekistan act? Do we need to close the borders too? The Minister of Health Alisher Shadmanov answered these questions:

- In the framework of the fight against coronavirus, a clear control of arriving citizens is carried out not only from China, but also from other countries. Border checkpoints are equipped with thermal imagers (devices for monitoring the distribution of body temperature of passengers), serious control is being carried out on products that may be carriers of the virus. Arriving people from regions where the virus is detected and those who have any signs of the disease are subject to special monitoring. We prepared special places in infectious diseases hospitals by region and created a reserve of necessary medicines.

Regarding the closure of the border, the adoption of measures on this issue is not the responsibility of our ministry. However, if I give my personal opinion on this matter, we must take precautions, although as of 30 January, in our country, not a single case of this infection has been detected. Personally, I am a supporter of not only the restriction of the departure of our citizens to China, but also the temporary restriction of the entry of Chinese and other foreign citizens from China to our country. After all, the virus is transmitted by airborne droplets from person to person, and the incubation period can be up to 14 days, which sharply increases the risk of the spread of the disease.

In addition, the spread of this disease even in the USA and a number of European and Asian countries with developed medicine indicates the seriousness of the situation.