In Turkmenistan the “escapists” from the treatment of infectious diseases will be imprisoned

Now residents of the country will face up to two years in prison for evading treatment of dangerous infectious diseases or refusing to be hospitalized in a hospital. If a citizen is caught on a second such violation, or his evasion of treatment led to the death of another person, he faces up to five years.

According to the Turkmen news agency Media-Turkmen, those persons who helped residents of the country to evade treatment will also be brought to justice. They will face up to three years in prison.

The law was signed on August 22. The document was adopted against the background of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the world. “The high level of social responsibility has helped the people of our country to avoid the global consequences of the pandemic, but in order to firmly consolidate these successes, a legal basis is needed”, - the newspaper writes.

In addition, the authorities extended the opportunity for foreign citizens who have a residence permit in Turkmenistan to stay in another country for up to a year.

There are no confirmed cases of infection with the Chinese virus in Turkmenistan, but the World Health Organization is concerned about the increase in cases of pneumonia in the country. The WHO recommended that the country take the same measures as if the coronavirus was spreading in this country.