Turkmenistan gathered thousands of citizens for mass exercise events to mark World Health Day, state media said, ignoring the global trend for social distancing to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, AFP reported.

State media said 7,000 citizens participated in cycling events across the country to celebrate the date, which has been marked internationally since 1950.

President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov was shown riding a horse and biking with a small group of officials.