Kazakh health minister replaced as COVID-19 cases jump

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Thursday removed Yelzhan Birtanov from the post of health minister, the presidential press service announced.

First Deputy Health Minister Aleksey Tsoy has been appointed to replace Birtanov.

Birtanov tested positive for the coronavirus in mid-June and had developed pneumonia which required additional treatment in hospital.

The reshuffle came as the Central Asian country has registered a record increase of COVID-19 cases and seen hospitals being filled to capacity in major cities of Nur-Sultan and Almaty.

In response, the government has now again locked down several towns including Kokshetau, Stepnogorsk and the oil town of Zhanaozen and introduced new quarantine measures such as closing shopping malls, markets and parks on weekends.

As of Thursday, Kazakhstan reported 19,285 confirmed cases and 140 deaths, as well as 12,677 asymptomatic cases.