By Meiramgul Kussainova
NUR SULTAN, Kazakhstan (AA) - The number of daily COVID-19 cases exceeded 11,000 as cases of the omicron variant have been detected in Kazakhstan, the country’s Health Ministry said on Monday.
Kazakhstan reported 11,524 infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the caseload to over 1 million, the ministry said in a statement.
With four more deaths, the total number of fatalities increased to 13,081.
The omicron variant, first seen in the country a week ago, led to the current situation in the country, according to experts.
The country put additional restrictions to stem the spread of the virus. Currently, only those who have been vaccinated can enter public areas such as shopping malls, entertainment venues, and indoor sports facilities.
Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 5.53 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions, with more than 328.12 million cases confirmed worldwide, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University.
* Writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara.