‘Coronathon’: Georgian entrepreneurs create innovations against COVID-19
Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava met today with young innovators from Edison Tech and other participants of the Coronathon. Photo: Ministry of Economy.
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An online hackathon – a 'Coronathon' – that was organised to encourage the creation of new technologies that would be used in the fight against coronavirus has unveiled a winner – Georgian company Edison Tech with the idea of a portable ventilator.
Edison Tech will receive 20,000 GEL (about $6,299/€5,786) to create a portable ventilator that can be used both in critical situations and at home.
Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava met today with young innovators from Edison Tech and other participants of the Coronathon. She said that the Ministry of Economy supports innovative ideas and creative minds in Georgia.
A portable ventilator can be interesting for an emergency. We will help them improve the first prototype to get positive results from the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health and we hope that this device will eventually be interesting and demanded. If so we will also help the company to produce it... Coronavirus has created enormous challenges in the world and in Georgia, and it has also stimulated the creation of innovative ideas", said Turnava.
Economy Minister Natia Turnava at the meeting with young innovators. Photo: Ministry of Economy.
Turnava showed interest in another idea of the hackathon which entails creating electronic face masks, which will protect the people from the virus with UV rays.
Coronathon was announced by the Innovation and Technology Agency of Georgia and marketing agency Redberry on April 3.
Its purpose was to encourage young entrepreneurs create prototype of digital products that could help overcoming challenges created by coronavirus. The topics of the hackathon were online medicine, food supply, distance education, disease spread/monitoring.
The Interagency Coordination Council, a body charged with orchestrating the response to the new coronavirus, will begin working remotely starting today and carry out sessions online to avoid gathering people as a measure against the spread of the new coronavirus.
The Georgian National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and National Parliamentary Library are hosting a virtual exhibition dedicated to Georgian medical personnel fighting on the front line against the new coronavirus.
The EU Delegation to Georgia and US Embassy have praised the efforts of Georgian health workers and others on World Health Day, which is marked today, expressing gratitude for their efforts in the fight against the coronavirus.
Georgia has reported seven new cases of the coronavirus today, bringing the total number of cases to 195.Of the 195, 39 have recovered, while two have died. As of now there are 152 active cases of the virus inside the country. 4,708 people are under quarantine in Georgia and 370 others are in hospitals. The new cases are connected with the US, while three of the seven cases are cases of community transmission.
Georgia ranks 109th worldwide and 50th in Europe in terms of the spread of COVID-19 and mortalities caused by the coronavirus, which is the one of the best results across the globe, head of Tbilisi Hospital of Infectious Diseases Tengiz Tsertsvadze said. Georgia has had 195 cases of the coronavirus since February 2020. 39 of the 195 have recovered. Two of the 195 have died of the virus so far, while two others were foreign citizens who left the country last month.
Georgia's ranking in the Global Innovation Index (GII) deteriorated by 15 spots compared to last year, dropping the country from 48th to 63rd place with a score of 31.78 out of 100.