On Monday (4 January), the Mongolian Government took the decision to extend the second degree emergency situation in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar for five days due to the worsening pandemic situation. Therefore, UB residents will have to stay at home until 11 January under the regulations for public emergency readiness and preparation.

In addition, the Mongolian Cabinet has cancelled the annual Lunar New Year ( Tsagaan Sar) celebration for second consecutive year in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. This year, the celebration will take place on 12-14 February.

Lunar New Year is an important event for Mongolians, touching on cherished traditional values, which are especially dear to the older generation. Marking the new year is a deeply held tradition, and celebrating it has always endured difficult economic or political circumstances. The core of the celebration is family, though colleagues, peers, and friends also gather to perform traditional rituals as a form of “team building” and integration during the Lunar New Year, often, with copious amounts of alcohol. However, the fear of Mongolia’s lawmakers is that the rituals embedded in this traditional holiday are likely to beget risks of spreading coronavirus and other respiratory diseases as they include close human interaction, such as kissing and hugging.

Due to this risk, the Mongolian government has been forced to suspend the traditional celebration.