Reconciliation minister says Russian-occupied regions under threat of coronavirus outbreak
Reconciliation Minister Ketevan Tsikhelashvili says that like in all other cases, Georgia is ready to help its people living in the Russian-occupied regions. Photo: Reconciliation Ministry press office.
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Georgian Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili says that the two Russian-occupied regions of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali face the threat of an outbreak of COVID-19 as people have moved freely between the regions and Russia over the past several weeks.
Russia has had 2,777 confirmed cases of the coronavirus so far.
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She says that one woman who was transported from the region of Abkhazia to Tbilisi-controlled territory on March 29 has tested positive for the virus.
However, this does not mean that this is the only case of the virus in the region. The woman travelled to Russia and like her, dozens of people had been travelling between the region and Russia over the past several weeks,” Tsikhelashvili said.
Georgia has received international praise for its efforts against the coronavirus. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
She stated that Georgia is ready to help its people living in the occupied regions and Rukhi hospital on the Tbilisi-administered territory, near the occupied Abkhazia region, is ready to receive the patients infected with the virus.
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Tsikhelashvili said that the infected woman from Abkhazia region, who is receiving treatment in Zugdidi, feels satisfactory and her condition is not critical.
The individuals have also been identified who had contact with the woman. Seven have already been transported onto our controlled territory and are under quarantine,” Tsikhelashvili said.
She stated that the attitude of the de facto authorities of Tskhinvali is ‘alarming and concerning,’ as they are refusing any cooperation with the central government regarding coronavirus or any other issue.
Tsikhelashvili expressed hope that the de facto government of Tskhinvali will act ‘more reasonabl as the case concerns the life and health of people.
There are about forty fever clinics throughout the country which are ready to treat patients, said Deputy Minister of Health Tamar Gabunia earlier today. Gabunia noted that many hospitals in the regions had refused to accept patients with fever. She added that the hospitals which can take in patients with fever have already been identified in the regions.
A 50-year-old woman, who was transferred from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region into Tbilisi-controlled territory late on March 29, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Tougher restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 go into force today, including a nationwide curfew that will be in effect from 21:00 – 06:00. Public transport has also been suspended, and the public cannot gather in groups of more than three people. The measures will be in place until at least April 21. Georgia has had 110 confirmed cases of the virus starting from February 26, 2020.
Seven people have been transferred from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region of Georgia onto Tbilisi-controlled territory after they came into contact with a woman who was also recently transferred from Abkhazia to Zugdidi in western Georgia and tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Georgia has confirmed the first case of mortality from COVID-19 this morning out of the total 156 confirmed cases in the country since February 26. Director of the First University Clinic Levan Ratiani stated that the woman, 79, was from the eastern Georgian region of Marneuli.
Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region confirmed its first case of the coronavirus yesterday. The de facto authorities of the region say that the infected individual is a 57-year-old man from Gagra who travelled to Russia. A 50-year-old woman from the region, who also travelled to Russia, is undergoing treatment on Tbilisi-controlled territory, after testing positive for the virus on March 30.
A 15-year-old child has died in Russian-occupied Abkhazia after being admitted to the hospital on April 7 in critical condition. Abkhaz news agency Apsnypress reports that the child had been tested for coronavirus and medics are waiting for the test result.
The de-facto government of the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region has confirmed seven new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total to 35 in the region. RFE/RL reports that all the newly infected individuals are students of a Russian military academy who returned from Moscow to Abkhazia on June 2.