Studies begin at Georgian schools after one-week delay due to flu

Studies at Georgian schools were supposed to begin on 14 January, after the New Year holidays, but were delayed until 21 January. Photo: Netgazeti.

Agenda.ge, 21 Jan 2019 - 11:17, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgian schools have reopened to students today after a week delay in studies due to the flu.

Georgian Education Minister Mikheil Batiashvili says that the ministry will be in “constant contact with schools” and will react to all cases of flu or measles.

Batiashvili recommended all school administrations to disinfect classrooms and school buildings.

The swine flu has claimed 18 lives in Georgia this winter.

The Georgian Health Ministry says that there is no threat of an epidemic in the country.

For now, the rate of infection is 253 individuals per 100,000 population.

Despite a lack of an epidemic, the de facto leaderships of Georgia’s two occupied regions, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), have refused to reopen the so-called borders closed on 11 January “to avoid the spread of the swine flu”.

The closure has created significant problems for people living in the occupied regions as they are unable to buy food and other items used on a daily basis.