The American military base existed near the Manas airport from 2001 to 2014. Those arriving in Kyrgyzstan from coronavirus-infected countries are quarantined in the barracks of a former American airbase. Several hundred people were there a few days ago: some have since been released, but people continue to arrive. Some of them complain of unbearable living conditions. The country’s Ministry of Health says it is doing all it can in this situation.
The first case of coronavirus infection in Kyrgyzstan was confirmed a week ago, and the number of infected people has since risen to 44 as of March 25. A week ago, the Kyrgyz authorities began separating all passengers arriving in the country into two categories: those arriving from countries with more than 1000 cases of infection, and everyone else. The first group was sent for mandatory observation in isolation, and the second group was advised to wait out a 14-day quarantine at home.
The majority of the isolated persons have been relocated to the barracks of the former American airbase “Manas”, where, according to them, the living conditions do not meet sanitary requirements and expose them to an even greater risk of infection. 32-year-old Katya (name changed at her request) arrived from Dubai on another business trip. She has been living in two countries for several years, working in Dubai and living with her family in Bishkek. This time, her loved ones were not waiting for her in the waiting hall of the Bishkek airport – arrivals are not allowed to leave the territory and are immediately taken from the plane to a former military barracks, where they have been in quarantine for several days.
People were housed in two- and four-bed rooms. “Upon arrival, they did a nasal test, took the temperature, and gave everyone a mask. When I asked why there was only one mask when it needs to be changed regularly, they said there weren’t enough for everyone. The buildings are cold, damp and filthy. There is no talk of sterilization or disinfection,” Katya said. More than a hundred passengers from this and several subsequent flights were spread across several buildings in the barracks, divided into two- and four-bedroom rooms without windows. According to Katya, they share one bathroom per floor, there is no soap in the showers, and their food is left out in the street.
The sign in English warns that you should not drink tap water. “The rooms cannot be ventilated, we are all confined to one room, and there is often a line for the toilets. Not all of the residents follow the quarantine conditions, some do not wear masks, sneeze and cough. I think that if someone has coronavirus or even just the flu in these conditions, we will all definitely catch it,” Katya believes.
We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what’s next. The Episodes End of podcast advertising story. From the news, she learned that two days after her arrival, the Ministry of Health changed the coronavirus prevention algorithm. Deputy Health Minister Tolo Isakov announced that now arrivals from abroad will be hospitalized only if they have symptoms (cough, fever), while others will be recommended for home quarantine. Laboratory tests will be carried out on all arrivals. He also warned that the “strictest” measures will be taken in case of quarantine violations. People at the air bases in Dubai and Istanbul had to fight for the last seats on the plane to get home before the borders were closed. They were shocked to learn that those who arrived after them had already been allowed to go home. “We have taken tests that showed a negative result for the virus. We are in terrible conditions, everyone is tired of being in a closed zone. Is it fair that some are sent home while others are forced to stay here?” – says Steven Liou, an American photographer who came from Turkey.
A coronavirus was detected in one of the residents of the base. Stephen was placed under surveillance because he had been on a business trip in Germany and Turkey before arriving in Kyrgyzstan. He and several others from the flight were isolated from other passengers and tested upon arrival. Kyrgyz border guards initially refused to let Stephen into the country because of a temporary government ban on foreigners entering the country. He was eventually allowed to enter the country because he is married to a Kyrgyz citizen. “I flew from Germany and Turkey, where the number of people infected with the coronavirus was over a thousand. I couldn’t leave before the travel ban went into effect, but I wanted to be with my wife during this crisis. That’s why I decided to fly, despite the quarantine that awaited me,” said Steven.
Stephen was allowed into the country because he is married to a Kyrgyz citizen. The U.S. military base named after Gansi (that was its original name) was opened at the “Manas” airport in 2001 for joint counter-terrorism efforts. In 2009, the base became a transit center. The bilateral agreement expired in 2014, and Kyrgyzstan decided not to renew it. The territory and property of the center were transferred to the National Guard of Kyrgyzstan, and it was decided to convert this strategic facility into a detention center due to its proximity to the airport. “There were about 50 people in the building where I lived. Checkpoints were set up between the buildings to prevent us from going from one building to another and from leaving the area. Within a few days, the number of residents grew to about 300. Contact with the outside world was limited to soldiers who guarded the area and periodically sprayed chlorine around the building, and medics who took our temperature twice a day,” says Steven. But on the sixth day of his stay in isolation, he and others were given blood tests with the information that if the results were negative, they would be released for home quarantine. The results of the retest confirmed that among those in quarantine, there is an infected person from Kyrgyzstan who arrived from France. Since his arrival and until the onset of symptoms, he had been in contact with others, including his roommate. “My bed is one meter away from the bed of the guy who had coronavirus. We have been living together in this room for four days. And now I have been asked to stay here and not go anywhere. I am in an infected room, they did not transfer me anywhere and did not listen to me, they do not check me and do not make any tests, there is no one around for a long time: no security, no doctors,” says Boris (name changed).
The Kyrgyz Ministry of Health says they chose a military base because of its proximity to the airport. Representatives of the Ministry of Health responded to complaints about the conditions of detention in the isolation ward by saying that it was the only place available with such a large number of beds. “These are former barracks, so there is basic sanitation, bedding and food. We provide all of that. But understand that it’s not going to be like home. There is no other option. Since it is necessary to go into quarantine at the airport upon arrival, it was decided to set up a facility at the former Hansi air base,” the Ministry of Health told the news website Kloop. Stephen was lucky again – he did not come in contact with the sick person, and now he has been sent home along with others in his building. Most of the Covid-19 patients in Kyrgyzstan are in hospitals and converted hotels. Many infected people returned from Saudi Arabia, where Kyrgyz pilgrims went to perform Umrah, a minor pilgrimage. The first three cases of coronavirus infection were detected among them. At the same time, the Covid-19 response center reported that these three individuals had been in contact with more than 2,500 people since their arrival, who will be isolated and tested.
A state of emergency has been declared in Bishkek, Osh, Jalalabad (the second and third largest cities), and several other districts where cases of Covid-19 have been detected. Residents are advised not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary, to observe curfews, and are prohibited from leaving the borders of these cities and districts. Public transportation and taxi services have been suspended. A milder state of emergency is in effect throughout the country – movement between cities is restricted and all educational institutions are closed.
The highest number of infected people in Kazakhstan are from Central Asian countries. Earlier, the Ministry of Health reported that it had developed a plan of action in case of the spread of the disease, as well as conducted drills and equipped blocks in medical institutions. Kyrgyzstan almost immediately closed its borders with China, and a week ago there were no registered cases of coronavirus in the country. However, experts say this is a loophole in the system, which lacks an effective testing system. “Hiding information is a legacy of the Soviet system, where there was virtually no citizen participation. But this time it was unintentional, simply because the country lacked effective standards and tools for a timely response to the epidemic,” says forensic specialist Bermet Baryktabasova. Kyrgyzstan ranks third in Central Asia for officially confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, behind Kazakhstan (79 cases) and Uzbekistan (55). Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have not yet reported any cases, according to official data.