Tbilisi confirms Turkey will evacuate Georgians from epicenter of new coronavirus
Turkey will evacuate at least four Georgian citizens from Wuhan, China.Photo: Voice of America.
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Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze has confirmed that Turkey will evacuate Georgian citizens from Wuhan, Hubei province of China, which is the epicenter of the outbreak of the new coronavirus – 2019-nCOV.
Tikaradze says that a Turkish aircraft is on its way to Wuhan and will evacuate four Georgian citizens along with Turkish, Azerbaijani and Albanian citizens.
She said that two other Georgian citizens refused to come.
The Georgian citizens who will be evacuated from Wuhan will have to stay in quarantine in Turkey for a while and will be under the supervision of medics to avoid contagion if they are infected,” Tikaradze said.
Georgian Health Minister Tikaradze said that two Georgian citizens decided to stay in Wuhan. Photo: tabula.
Tikaradze stated that several Georgian tourists also contacted them and requested evacuation and ‘we are now negotiating with Turkey.'
Turkish media reported yesterday that seven Georgian citizens would be evacuated by Turkey from Wuhan.
- The new coronavirus, which first emerged in the city of Wuhan, China at the end of 2019 has already killed at least 213 in China and infected almost 10,000.
- The World Health Organisation declared the virus a global emergency and said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths.
- The new coronavirus, which is thought to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a seafood market in Wuhan, can spread between people.
- The incubation period can range from two to 10 days. It causes severe acute respiratory infection and symptoms mostly start with a fever, followed by a dry cough.
Two Georgian citizens who have come from China will be tested in Germany for the presence of the new coronavirus - 2019-nCov.A 24-year-old man who worked in China and a woman who came from Wuhan, China, which is the epicenter of the new virus outbreak, have no signs of pneumonia [which is the major symptom of the new coronavirus] and have a low temperature. However, they have none of the viruses Georgia can test individuals for inside the country.
Two Chinese and two Georgian citizens remain in the Tbilisi infectious disease hospital, with one of the two Georgian citizens having been in the Wuhan province of China two weeks ago, which is the epicenter of the outbreak of the new coronavirus.The Chinese citizens are minors, with Georgian health officials saying that they tested positive for the A type virus, excluding the nCOV-2019, which is the new coronavirus which has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the healthcare system is ready to efficiently respond to the challenge of the coronavirus if it appears in Georgia.
Georgia temporarily suspends direct flights with China to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Georgia, the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency (GCAA) reports. The suspension of flights will be in place until March 29 of 2020.Chinese aviation authorities and the airline company China Southern have already been notified about the flight suspension.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani announced today that Georgia stands with China amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus. FM Zalkaliani also thanked Turkey for arranging a flight to evacuate Georgian citizens from the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province, where the new coronavirus originated.
The Lugar Laboratory in Tbilisi will have a new test to diagnose the new China-born coronavirus 2019-nCOV starting February 4, said the head of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health Amiran Gamkrelidze.