Azerbaijan to continue citizens’ repatriation amid lockdown

By Azernews

By Aisha Jabbarova

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva has said that Azerbaijan will continue repatriating its citizens from abroad despite the strict lockdown that will enter force on June 21.

“Work is underway to repatriate to Azerbaijan citizens temporarily staying in foreign countries. This is a phased process. There is no plan to suspend the process during the tough quarantine regime. But the borders will be closed till August 1. The international flights may be resumed in accordance with the mutual agreements,” Abdullayeva said.

Speaking about Azerbaijani citizens who have been stranded on the Russian-Azerbaijan waiting for their repatriation, Abdullayeva said:

“The Azerbaijani embassy in Russia, as well as we have repeatedly appealed to citizens and urged them not to leave their place of residence, to wait for an answer after passing registration and to observe the rules established in the country of residence. Citizens must be patient,” the spokesperons said.

Abdullayeva stressed that citizens are repatriated after registering on the “I am going home” (Evegedirem) website, adding that “some people who have been registered on the website gather near the borders of the countries.”

Furthermore, she said that over the past month, about 1,000 citizens have been brought back to Azerbaijan by planes and vehicles.

Earlier, presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev has said that Azerbaijan has repatriated 2,976 citizens from Russia through Samur checkpoint since late March when the two countries shut down the border over COVID-19, local media reported on June 16.

Azerbaijan has so far repatriated over 20,000 citizens have been repatriated from around the world since mid-March via land borders and through special charter flights.

A strict quarantine regime will enter force from 00:00 on June 21 to 06:00 on July 5 in the territories of Baku, Ganja, Sumgayit, Lankaran, Yevlakh, Masalli, Jalilabad and Absheron region. The Cabinet of Ministers announced the lockdown decision during a briefing on June 18.

The country has also extended the nationwide quarantine regime until August 1.

Azerbaijan registered its first coronavirus case in February and imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 24. The fourth stage of quarantine regime easing came into force on May 31.

The country imposed two-day special quarantine regimes on June 6-7 and June 14-16 to curb the spread of COVID-19. The Azerbaijani Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TABIB) warned on June 12 that the country may transition from weekend lockdowns to long- term tightened quarantine regime if there is further surge in infection cases.

As of June 19, the country has registered 11,329 COVID-19 cases and 139 coronavirus-related cases.