[6] On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.

On February 10, a Somon Air charter flight flew to Wuhan, Hubei, China to evacuate the fifty-four citizens of Tajikistan in the city.

[12] On February 13, 13,000 copies of WHO guidelines and recommendations to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection were printed and distributed to Tajik citizens.

[21] As of March 10, 1,583 Tajik citizens who arrived from China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Iran and Afghanistan after February 1 had been put in quarantine, and 1,147 had already been discharged.

[22] As of March 14, 1,603 Tajik citizens who arrived from China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Iran and Afghanistan after February 1 had been put in quarantine, and 1,280 had already been discharged.

[24] In late March, border closings in Russia and Central Asia were preventing Tajik seasonal migrant workers from going to their place of work.

The Ministry of Health called on the country's people, "not to believe any false rumors concerning coronavirus cases confirmation in Tajikistan.

[28] A 24-hour hotline number (511) has been activated by the Anti-crisis Information Center under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection to answer questions from the Tajikistan general public related to coronavirus issues.

[33] By April 3, face masks, though not legally mandated, had become a familiar sight in Tajikistan, including in the remote countryside and schools had reopened after the spring holidays.

Six medical facilities in Khujand and twelve in other areas were prepared for quarantines and all coronavirus tests were to be conducted free of change.

[40] On April 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin met with the head of the European Union delegation to Tajikistan Marilyn Josefson.

[43] The Tajikhydroelektromontazh Company provided the Dushanbe Health Department with 20,000 coronavirus tests, 10 ventilation machines, and 500 sets of special medical clothing in total worth more than 5 million somoni.

Other diseases were registered in the general population including influenza, pneumonia, ARVI (acute respiratory viral infection)[clarification needed], asthma and typhoid.

[45] President Rahmon made a speech to the newly elected and appointed members of the National Assembly of Tajikistan which touched on the coronavirus situation.

[49][50] On April 23, Tajikistan closed schools for two weeks to prevent the spread of coronavirus and temporarily banned export of grains and pulses, a measure aimed at conserving domestic supplies.

[citation needed] China has provided humanitarian assistance to Tajikistan to support the Tajik authorities' preventive and mitigation efforts against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

[citation needed] The handover ceremony of the humanitarian assistance took place on the Tajik-Chinese border in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) on March 30.

[citation needed] Donations, which included 2,000 protective suits; 810 hygiene kits; and 400 packages of foodstuffs, were aimed at strengthening preventive measures against COVID-19.

[73] On May 7, the presidential press office of Tajikistan announced a phone conversation between Emomali Rahmon and Hassan Rouhani, the president of Iran about the pandemic and the Iranian president expressed preparations of Iran for helping Tajikistan with the pandemic, including sending equipment, health professionals and pharmaceuticals.

[75] In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, Kazakhstan has offered humanitarian aid to its Central Asian neighbours Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, answering a request by Bishkek and Dushanbe.

[citation needed] The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, took the decision earlier this week to provide humanitarian assistance to its two neighbours.

Neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, which has already received $121 million from the fund, has asked to double the sum, fully utilising its own quota.

[80] A heated debate was caused by "charitable help" with medicines from the local "Avesto Group" company, where China's humanitarian aid for Tajikistan was among the cargo.

[citation needed] Users of social networks fell into indignation and harsh criticism of the "Avesto Group" company, in which, according to the opposition, part of the action belongs to Rustam Emomali, the son of the country's president, chairman of the Majlisi Milli.

[citation needed] Independent television and radio stations have been forced to tighten their grip on self-censorship for fear of losing their licenses.

In freedom of speech ratings from around the globe, various reputable international organizations have put Tajikistan at the very end in recent years.

And now, several dozen Tajik journalists, who worked in these publications, have in the meantime received asylum in Europe — including in Germany.