TASHKENT -- Uzbekistan has lifted a ban on international travel imposed in mid-March to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

According to a government commission decision, all international flights, railways lines, and automobile transportation to and from the Central Asian nation were allowed to resume on October 1.

In accordance with the new regulations, individuals entering Uzbekistan by vehicles from neighboring Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan will have to provide a medical document confirming that they are not infected with the coronavirus and are obliged to observe a 14-day quarantine period upon entering the country.

Individuals who arrived from Uzbekistan after having stayed for at least 14 days in China, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Georgia, Hungary, Finland, Latvia, Austria, and Japan are now allowed to enter the country without any restrictions.

Those who arrived in Uzbekistan from countries labelled as so-called 'red zones' and 'yellow zones,' except Azerbaijan, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, are allowed to enter Uzbekistan only if they have a documented negative test result no older than 72 hours.

Uzbekistan shut its borders and suspended transport links with other countries in mid-March because of the outbreak.

Only charter flights and special trains used for repatriating foreigners who were stuck in Uzbekistan were allowed.

As of October 1, the number of registered coronavirus cases in Uzbekistan was 56,997, including 471 deaths, while 53,457 people had recovered.

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