Experts in Uzbekistan are on high alert for potential Afghan sources of COVID-19. Bakhtiyor Ergashev, director of the Ma’no Center of Research Initiatives, reports KazTAG, “The neighbouring states… to some extent control COVID-19… There is no understanding how it is going to be done in Afghanistan.”

Addressing an international conference about Uzbekistan’s COVID-19 response, Ergashev said that of all of their neighbouring states – including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan – Afghanistan has the dual problem of government incompetency and the threat of the Taliban hampering quarantine efforts. “In the time of pandemic Ghani and Abdullah cannot find an agreement and their extent of responsibility. In addition, Taliban has activated. They do not understand what is quarantine and self-isolation is.”
Afghanistan has 9,216 Coronavirus positive cases, the most among all of Uzbekistan’s neighbours.