DUSHANBE (Reuters) – Tajikistan announced on Monday the first easing of restrictions introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic, as it allowed malls, bazaars, restaurants, hotels and other service providers to reopen after a two-month shutdown.

State borders will remain closed, the government said in a statement, and so will mosques and mass transit facilities such as railways. The Central Asian nation bordering China has confirmed 5,035 COVID-19 cases with 50 deaths.