Azerbaijan to ease COVID-19 measures from May 31

By Ruslan Rehimov

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AA) – Azerbaijan is easing coronavirus restrictions from next week as it moves toward normalization, according to decisions taken by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday.

While people will no longer be required to wear face masks in public places, Baku Metro and inter-city travel will also resume from May 31. The country made it mandatory in June 2020 to wear masks to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, places of worship, shopping malls, beaches and gyms will open on June 10.

'COVID passports' are also being launched. Either a vaccination certificate, or an immune certificate (recovery from COVID-19) will be required to enter sports and recreational centers.

As many as 1.99 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the former Soviet republic since Jan. 18.

The nation of over 10 million people has registered 332,610 COVID-19 cases and 4,867 related deaths. More than 321,000 patients have recovered.

*Writing by Merve Berker