Experts criticize the official explanation for the extension of the quarantine

Baku/29.10.22/Turan: The special quarantine regime introduced in Azerbaijan due to the coronavirus pandemic has been extended until January 1, 2023. The Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of October 27 is explained by the intention of the state to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection and its consequences in the country. The consequence of the ongoing ban is the closed land borders of the state, and the resulting inability to enter and leave the country by cheap land transport.

Politician Tofik Yagublu, who held a protest rally near the Baku executive power building demanding the opening of land borders, compared Azerbaijan with North Korea, where it is impossible to enter in the usual way for the civilized world.

At the time of the adoption of the decree, 36 cases of COVID-19 infection were reported in Azerbaijan, 49 recovered. Azerbaijan has 10 million inhabitants.

Answering a question from Turan,  Sevinj Hasanova,  Senior Researcher at the Institute of Physiology of ANAS, Candidate of Sciences, said that the announced daily incidence figures indicate a low percentage of the disease compared to the population, so the reason for extending the quarantine is not clear.

Huseynova believes that the statistics do not take into account those who have the flu, which in reality can be affected by the coronavirus. But to identify this, they must be checked for covid tests, which is not done.

“In the family of a close relative, everyone was sick with coronavirus. One test was negative, three were positive. Therefore, I do not believe in the statistical indicators of the incidence of coronavirus in Azerbaijan,” Huseynova said.

Political analyst Mustafa Hajibayli, in an interview with Turan, connected the next decision of the Cabinet of Ministers to extend the quarantine with the economic interests of businesses affiliated with the authorities.

“Passenger trains run all over the world, but in Azerbaijan the railway communication is closed. If there are no restrictions on movement within the country, then it is absurd to explain the closure of land borders by the threat of the spread of coronavirus.

The main reason for the ban is the business interest of the authorities. Air passenger transportation is completely in the monopoly property of the authorities, and people and tourists are forced to buy expensive air tickets in order to fly out and fly into the country.”

The termination of the railway communication within Azerbaijan, he explains the unprofitability of the railways in the country. “The authorities do not want to subsidize the Railway Administration, so they simply closed this transport industry.”

One version of the extension of quarantine in society is the unwillingness of  the authorities to open borders for Russians fleeing Russia. M. Hajibeyli denies the connection between the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers and the military mobilization in Russia and the flight of Russians to neighboring countries.

“Coronavirus quarantine is applied in Azerbaijan long before the September announcement of mobilization in the Russian Federation, so there is no need to look for political sense in extending the quarantine ban,” M. Hajibeyli summed up. –0-