Kazakhstan confirms first coronavirus cases

The statement made on Friday confirms the first case of the disease in the republic.

Birtanov noted that the patients are staying in a specialized hospital in Almaty, where they arrived separately on March 9 and March 12.

The Healthcare Ministry is working to quarantine people who arrived on the same flight on March 9 as the first patient, all passengers and crew from the second flight have already been quarantined.

Kazakhstan has already pre-emptively moved to shut down schools, colleges and universities from next week and cancel all public events.