Rumours were circulating around Ashgabat in late October that effective 1 November, 2020 a lockdown would be introduced with schools, kindergartens, organizations and companies being closed.
Moreover, the ban on mass events and festivities was expected to be imposed and movement between regions was allegedly scheduled to be totally stopped.
Starting from 1 November residents need to have legitimate grounds in order to travel between Turkmenistan’s provinces. When purchasing a plane ticket, passengers are required to have a negative COVID-19 test certificate and present a document justifying the purpose of a trip.
Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that schools and organizations are still operating and mass family events are being held in the backyards of Ashgabat’s residential districts.
The scale of the celebration depends on how wealthy a host is.For instance, an official from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Policy organized his son’s wedding in the 30th residential district of the capital.
For three consecutive days, from 30 October to 1 November, 2020, tents for numerous guests, served by waiters in uniforms, were installed in one of the backyards.
Two big yurts for VIP guests, who were also served by hookah makers, were also erected near the tents.
Needless to say, no prevention and precautionary measures were observed. The waiters and guests were not wearing any masks and the requirement to keep safe distance between people was ignored.
The police officers who usually impose bans on such events did not demonstrate any interest in the festivities.