On 23 March, Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers decided to put the country under a special quarantine regime, reported trend.

The regime includes the following measures: 1) persons above the age of 65 are banned from leaving home and the lonely persons of this age will receive social services, 2) entry and exit to/from Baku, Sumgayit and Absheron is restricted with the exclusion of special-purpose vehicles, including ambulances, emergency and rescue vehicles, as well as cargo transportation vehicles; 3) passenger transportation between districts and cities was suspended; 4) the relevant departments were instructed to ensure the return of Azerbaijani citizens from abroad by charter flights with the condition of being placed in compulsory quarantine for a period of 14-21 days within a certain schedule; 5) the Baku Transport Agency should provide a special line for express buses that will run along the route between metro stations from 06:00 to 22:00 o’clock 6) gathering in groups of more than 10 people in public places was banned; 7)  citizens were advised to keep a distance of two meters from each other; 8) a new regime was introduced in catering enterprises; 9) home delivery is available without time limits from 12:00 to 15:00 o’clock; 10) the operation of all shopping centers was suspended; and 11) the relevant departments were instructed to ensure the operation of grocery stores, pharmacies and other vital facilities in the country.

The Cabinet‘s spokesperson Ibrahim Mammadov stated that although the restrictions in the country are getting stricter by the day, the Cabinet currently does not see the need to impose a state of emergency in the country, as already done in neighbouring Armenia (Caucasus Watch reported) and Georgia (Caucasus Watch reported).   

“If this is necessary to protect the health of citizens, then a state of emergency may be imposed because of the threat of the spread of coronavirus. The issue of isolating people involved in production process and halting production is not relevant today. However, it is impossible to resolve all issues by making prohibitions and restrictions. The main forces are aimed at preventing cases of infection within the country and localizing the disease,” he added.