Kazakhstan Reports Sharp Decline in COVID-19 Cases Amid Spread of New Omicron Subvariants

The Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control (CSEC) of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan has released an official update regarding the current status of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) within the country.
According to monitoring results, several subvariants of the Omicron strain are currently circulating nationwide.

Since the beginning of 2026, only 5 cases of COVID-19 have been registered across the republic. Experts note that this figure is 17.2 times lower than during the same period last year. Importantly, no fatalities related to the virus have been reported this year.

Specialists are conducting systematic genetic monitoring to track the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The current distribution of identified subvariants is as follows:

• XFG.3 – 75%: The dominant and most widespread variant in the country;
• XFG.3.1 – 12.5%: A genetically close subvariant;
• XFG.6 – 12.5%: A subsequent mutation of the Omicron lineage.

Representatives of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Control Committee emphasized that the spread of the XFG lineage does not pose an additional threat to public health.

"The circulation of the XFG lineage does not significantly differ from previously spread Omicron variants in terms of disease severity or transmission speed," the official statement reads.

Health authorities assure the public that the situation is under full control, and continuous monitoring remains ongoing to ensure national safety.