The president of Kazakhstan criticised top officials on Monday for their coronavirus response and ordered the return of lockdown measures as the Central Asian country struggles to control a surge in infections. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed a state commission to decide within two days which fresh anti-virus measures to impose after hospital staff warned they were running out of beds. Oil-rich Kazakhstan has seen infections surge in recent weeks after an unpopular two-month lockdown was lifted in mid-May. During a government meeting held by video link, Tokayev singled out mayors in the three largest cities and the deputy prime minister among other officials for "unsatisfactory" work containing the disease. Total cases in Kazakhstan stood at just over 11,000 at the beginning of June, with around half of patients recovered. Infections have soared to over 21,000 as of Monday, not including more than 16,000 asymptomatic cases that authorities began counting separately earlier this month. A total of 183 fatalities have been recorded, while about 13,000 people have recovered. Top health officials have insisted the country has enough beds for virus patients even as hospital chiefs throughout the country sound the alarm over medical facilities nearing full capacity. A key laboratory on Monday said it would stop paid-for-tests after being put under strain from high demand. Last week saw long queues for coronavirus tests in the capital Nur-Sultan and the largest city of Almaty. dr-cr/jbr/txw