ULAN BATOR, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will mark its national holiday of Naadam with a live broadcast on both television channels and social media amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's government press office reported on Friday.
"The organizing committee of the annual national festival Naadam has decided to organize this year's Naadam on a small range in order to avoid large crowds due to the current situation or the COVID-19 pandemic. Horse racing, archery and wrestling of the Naadam will be traditionally held," the press office said in a statement.
"However, citizens will not be allowed to enter venues of the festival to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Instead of, all activities of the festival will be broadcasted live on television channels and social media," it said.
Inscribed in UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the official holiday is celebrated from July 11 to 15. Naadam means "games" in the Mongolian language.
It is the most widely watched festival in Mongolia.
As of Friday, Mongolia has confirmed a total of 141 COVID-19 infections, including four non-nationals. All 141 cases in Mongolia are imported, mostly from Russia. Among the confirmed cases, 28 patients, including the four foreign nationals, have recovered so far. No local transmissions or deaths have been reported in the country so far.
A French national tested positive for the virus on March 10, becoming the first confirmed case in Mongolia. Enditem
