Coronavirus testing to begin in Georgian regions

Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported earlier today that in addition to Tbilisi, the regional branches of the Lugar Laboratories located in Georgia’s black sea town of Batumi and Western city of Kutaisi will be able to diagnose the new China-born coronavirus – Covid-19.

So far tests for coronavirus have been carried out only at the Lugar Laboratory in Tbilisi.

• Tbilisi-based Lugar Lab to be able to test for new coronavirus

Marina Ezugbaia, the medical director of the Tbilisi Infectious Disease Hospital, said that there are no cases of domestic spread of coronavirus – Covid-19 in Georgia for now, which means that all the confirmed cases have been spread by other infected individuals who returned back from the high-risk zone countries.

Out of the total 15 patients who got infected in Iran, 12 travelled in Italy or had contact with those who returned from Italy, while one came from Spain but had contact with Italians”, said Ezugbaia.

The virus which appeared first in the city of Wuhan of China at the end of 2019, comes with high fever, followed by dry cough and shortness of breath.

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178 individuals who have tested negative for the virus still remain under quarantine throughout Georgia, while 51 are being observed by medics.

Georgia confirmed its first case of the virus at the end of February.