DUSHANBE (Reuters) - The government of Tajikistan has instructed airlines and travel agencies to stop selling tickets to nationals of 35 countries including the United States, Britain, China, Japan and Iran, industry sources said on Monday.

In a letter to the companies cited by three industry sources, the Civil Aviation Agency warned them that passengers from those countries would be turned away at the border - the most robust measure taken so far by any of the Central Asian nations in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The agency and the former Soviet republic’s foreign ministry could not be immediately reached for comment.

The list includes countries in Asia, North America, Middle East, and Africa, all of which have reported coronavirus cases.