One Georgian citizen tests positive for coronavirus, Health Minister says no need to panic
Georgian health officials say the individual was immediately delivered to the hospital upon arrival, therefore he did not have communication with other citizens but the border guards who will also be in quarantine. Photo: Georgian Heath Ministry/Facebook
Tweet 
Share
Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze announced today that a Georgian citizen who recently travelled to Iran for business has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Tikaradze said that the individual who returned to Georgia via Azerbaijan yesterday was immediately delivered to the Tbilisi infectious disease hospital and did not have any communication with other citizens, except for border guards.
The Health Minister also noted that although the Georgian border guards wore protective equipment, they will also be placed under quarantine.
I would like to assure Georgian citizens. We do not have reason to panic, because our government does everything and we use all of our efforts to avoid the coronavirus epidemic in Georgia”, Minister Tikaradze said.
Georgia suspended flights with Iran amid the recent coronavirus outbreak on Sunday. Minister Tikaradze stated today that a two-week restriction will be imposed on movement by land as well.
Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze recommended citizens temporarily avoid travelling to China, Iran, South Korea and Italy amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The new virus is thought to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a seafood market in Wuhan, China last December. Since then it has spread in over 30 countries worldwide, with Georgia revealing its first case of the infection today.
Georgia’s tourism sector will lose about 30 million GEL per month (about $10.79m/€9.93m) following the coronavirus ban on travel from China and Iran, announces Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava.
The Government of Georgia has made a decision to suspend direct flights with Iran amid the recent coronavirus outbreak. The Foreign Ministry announced today that this aims to prevent the spread of the virus to Georgia and to protect its citizens.
Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze reported yesterday that the worsening of epidemiological situation in Iran amid the coronavirus outbreak is “a serious concern” for Georgia, as the number of infections is increasing there.
Georgia has evacuated 34 of its citizens from China amid the coronavirus outbreak. Although none of them have the symptoms of the China-born virus, they will still be placed in two-week quarantine.
Georgia has imposed a travel ban on Iran, after a Georgian citizen who recently travelled there has tested positive for the coronavirus. The intergovernmental coordination group ld by Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia gathered on Wednesday after the first case of the infection has been confirmed in the country earlier that day.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has responded to the detection of the first case of the new, China-born coronavirus Covid-19 in Georgia, stating that ‘there is no reason to panic, as the government is in absolute control of the situation.’ “We have no reason to panic. The Health Ministry, all responsible agencies and the inter-agency council [created to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the country] are in total control of the situation,” Gakharia said.
The Georgian government has issued a new decree to prevent the spread of the new, China-born coronavirus Covid-19, making amendments in the January 28 decree following the confirmation of the first case of the coronavirus in the country yesterday. The decree instructs various state agencies to present their action plans against the spread of the respiratory infection and their budgets by March 1, 2020.
The General Consulate of Turkey in Georgia reports that Turkish citizens who have visited China, Iran, South Korea and Italy in the past 21 days will not be allowed to enter Georgia to prevent the spread of the new, China-born coronavirus Covid-19.
Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze announced today that yet another Georgian citizen who recently travelled to Iran has tested positive for the coronavirus, known as COVID-19.
Public schools will be closed in Georgia until March 16 as a measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus. As of today, three Georgian citizens have tested positive for COVID-19, while 170 others, who have been travelling to countries with high risk of the virus, remain under the quarantine in Georgia.
Five people have tested positive for the new coronavirus COVID-19 in Georgia increasing the total number of people infected in the country to nine. Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze made the announcement at the recent news briefing today.
Georgian health authorities confirmed the first case of the monkeypox virus in the country earlier today, with the National Centre for Disease Control making the confirmation.