Kazakhstan to extend coronavirus lockdown by two weeks

Kazakhstan will extend its second coronavirus lockdown by two weeks, until the end of July, and will once again offer financial aid to those who have lost their source of income, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Monday.

"There are first signs now that the situation is beginning to improve," he said in a tweet. "The next two weeks are important for the full stabilization of the situation."

According to the health ministry, Kazakhstan has reported 59,899 confirmed cases and 375 deaths, with 34,190 recoveries as of Monday. 

Monday (July 13) has been declared as a day of national mourning as the country observed a minute of silence to pay tribute to COVID-19 victims at 12 p.m. local time (0600 GMT) with flags flying at half-mast, broadcasting of entertainment programs suspended and websites of news outlets turned black and white.