DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Tajikistan on Tuesday scaled down a wide-ranging travel ban introduced just days ago to prevent the spread of coronavirus, reducing the number of targeted countries to five from 35 without explaining the reasons for the move.

In a letter to travel agents and airlines seen by Reuters, the Central Asian nation's Civil Aviation Agency said the border would be shut only to citizens of China, Iran, South Korea, Afghanistan and Italy, rather than a much broader list that included nations such Britain, the United States and Canada.

The former Soviet republic bordering China and Afghanistan has reported no coronavirus cases on its soil.

(Reporting by Nazarali Pirnazarov; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Alison Williams)