- Kazakhstan, like many other countries, is going through another outbreak of coronavirus infection. Evidence suggests that it is largely caused by new mutated strains of the virus. The situation is aggravated by general fatigue and the blunting of alertness on the part of the population, including on the part of business, " the President said.
The Head of State is convinced that the only reliable solution in the fight against coronavirus is vaccination. This is proved by the example of countries that have thought out a strategy for getting out of lockdowns in advance. Right now, their economies and the daily lives of their citizens are experiencing virtually no pandemic stress. In Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the leading countries in vaccination, even such pandemic-sensitive sectors as tourism, trade, restaurant business, and small and medium-sized businesses have resumed their activities. The People's Republic of China has achieved the greatest success in the fight against COVID-19. China's high mobilization capacity and rapid response to the pandemic threat have enabled it to effectively counter the infection.
- China has managed to contain the large-scale spread of the coronavirus, managed to make it one of the first in the world, as well as reduce the incidence of citizens and ensure economic recovery. Focusing on China, decisive actions to overcome the pandemic have been successfully taken by Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore. Therefore, we need to take into account the positive experience of China in the fight against the pandemic and the implementation of vaccination. And in general, we must understand that China is a long-term strategic partner of Kazakhstan, cooperation with this country, the second economy in the world, is useful for our country and fully corresponds to the national interests of our state, " the Head of State noted.
To date, about 47 thousand people have completed the course of immunization. The first component vaccinated 137,346 citizens. The reason for this situation is simple – it is a shortage of vaccines.
- I have given instructions to conclude preliminary contracts for the purchase of vaccines on several occasions, starting from June last year. All this time, the Government assured that the agreements on Satellite V and the production of the domestic vaccine would fully meet the country's vaccination needs. Based on this information, in my address to the new composition of the Mazhilis, I announced a mass vaccination starting from February 1. After two months, less than 0.1% of the population has been vaccinated! Now I have to negotiate with the heads of other states for additional supplies of the vaccine. We are forced to accept unfavorable commercial and financial conditions to speed up supplies, " Kassym - Jomart Tokayev criticized the procurement of vaccines.
In addition, the issues of transportation, storage, and direct inoculation have not been resolved. As supplies increase in the regions, there may be a shortage of storage capacity and the volume of freezing units in polyclinics. There is evidence that the purchase of the required number of syringes was not made, taking into account the increase in the volume of vaccines.
- The delay in vaccination is not an abstract problem, but a matter of national importance. This is about national security. This is an additional morbidity and mortality of our citizens. These are lost business revenues, lost budget taxes, and a general decline in national wealth. Therefore, the control over this work should be as strict as possible. Alexey Vladimirovich, I told you earlier that at this time the Minister of Health is a key figure in the Government, and you have special powers. You got off to a good start, but then you noticeably slowed down. During April, you must turn the tide. Otherwise, a personnel decision will follow, which will greatly disappoint you. This applies not only to the Minister of Health, but also to the Government as a whole, " the Head of State said.
The work on immunization of the population should be accompanied by active, competent information and explanatory work. It is necessary to involve the professional community, public activists, and all citizens who support mass vaccination. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev considers the active position of the domestic business in this issue to be extremely important. Explanatory and motivational work with employees and their family members is required.
"I urge everyone to take the vaccine as soon as possible. This is taking care of yourself, your elders and loved ones. After all, this is our civic duty, " the President stressed.
According to the Head of State, the experience and resources acquired during the year of the pandemic should help to get out of the situation with minimal restrictions and costs for the economy. However, the main part of the work is limited to restricting the activities of various sectors, monitoring group raids and fines.
- Only in Almaty, about 50 thousand enterprises, which employ more than 250 thousand people, were banned. Restrictions and subsequent raids do not bring the expected results, they cause social tension. The work of monitoring groups began to cause complaints from businessmen, it sometimes has a selective, non-transparent nature – some institutions may be checked constantly, others may not be checked at all. The focus should be on systemic, malicious violators of the regime, " Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The President believes that the prosecutor's office should have a call center that can receive complaints about violations during raids. The interdepartmental commission, together with the akims, should streamline the work of the monitoring groups.
Last year, a number of unprecedented anti-crisis measures were taken to support small and medium-sized businesses. These are tax breaks, preferential loans and other types of support. At the same time, some types of businesses continue to remain under quarantine bans and restrictions.
- I ask the Government to promptly work out the following. First, the introduction of a deferral on the payment of certain taxes and payments for SMEs in the affected industries. Second, the suspension of compulsory collection of tax and customs debts. These measures should be in effect temporarily until the start of a truly mass vaccination and the lifting of most restrictions. I instruct the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market and the National Bank to work out the possibility of postponing payments on loans to SMEs in the affected sectors of the economy, " the Head of State said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that if the Government can change the situation with the pandemic for the better by mass vaccination in April, then from the beginning of May, it is possible to start gradually lifting restrictions on the activities of SMEs. Much will depend on how successful the vaccination of citizens will be, especially those involved in small and medium-sized businesses.
Accelerating the use of digital solutions will help preserve the mobility of the population in the conditions of quarantine restrictions. At the same time, scaling the ASHYQ project is not just a business task. The government will have to ensure the expansion and active implementation of the system. As another digital solution, it was instructed to work out the introduction of "heat maps", which, based on the data of mobile operators, will allow identifying large concentrations of citizens at business facilities.
- I instructed to take comprehensive measures to prevent the importation of mutated strains into the country, in particular, to strictly require a negative PCR result for entry into the country. However, these instructions were not fulfilled. Since February, there has been a twofold increase in the number of air passengers without the results of PCR studies. If in November 2020 the share of people arriving in the Republic of Kazakhstan without PCR certificates was 7.3 %, now it is 27 %! As a result, the country confirmed the presence of all three mutated strains with a higher contagiousness, - the President expressed his indignation.
Currently, the overall increase in infections is accompanied by an increase in the number of patients in serious and extremely serious condition, as well as an increase in fatal cases. At the same time, there is a shortage of both medicines and medical devices and equipment. On average, intensive care units are equipped with only 64 % of the required standards.
- We may face an overload of the health care system. We are already feeling the first signs of this overload. I instruct the Government and the regional akims to take measures to equip the intensive care units and consolidate the personal responsibility of the chief doctors and deputy akims. We must not allow a repetition of the summer precedent of borrowing equipment and medicines from other hospitals, " the Head of State noted.
Taking into account the proven presence of new highly contagious strains, the issue of providing personal protective equipment is particularly relevant. And first of all, the health workers themselves. In some regions, there is a shortage or low quality of purchased personal protective equipment.
- We have changed the management of SK-Pharmacy. It is now the moment that will show the managerial capabilities of the new management. Otherwise, there will be a dismissal. I instruct the Ministry of Health to ensure strict control over the quality and sufficient volumes of personal protective equipment for doctors, " Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The Head of State asked the akim of Zhambyl region about the terms of commissioning of the plant for the production of Kazakhstan's vaccine and expressed his intention to visit the enterprise.
- The vaccine filling line will be introduced in August-September 2021. And from that moment on, the plant will start producing the vaccine, " Berdibek Saparbayev said.
In conclusion, the President called on his fellow citizens to take a responsible approach to the issue of vaccination, not to believe speculation and speculation. It is important to understand that the success of mass vaccination depends on both the health and material well-being of all Kazakhstanis.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Yeraly Tugzhanov, Minister of Health Alexey Tsoi, Chairman of the Board of NCE "Atameken" Abylai Myrzakhmetov, head of the city of Nur-Sultan Altai Kulginov, head of the city of Almaty Bakytzhan Sagintayev, head of the city of West Kazakhstan region Gali Iskaliyev.