Georgia receives 63 tonnes of food stuffs, medical supplies via Batumi port
Since March, ships undergo thermal screening upon arrival at the Georgian ports. Photo: Government of Georgia press office
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Georgia has received a total of 63 tonnes of food stuffs and medical supplies via Batumi port in western Georgia earlier today.
Photo: Government of Georgia press office
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia welcomed the two ships carrying 40 tonnes of food stuffs and 23 tonnes of medicines.
PM Gakharia said that amid the global crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it is of utmost importance that Georgian ports of Batumi and Poti continue to receive cargo "unhindered".
Photo: Government of Georgia press office
Since March, ships undergo thermal screening upon arrival at the Georgian ports. Cargo is also disinfected.
Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2020 Georgian ports have proceeded a total of 144,897 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit), which is 9 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced today that all malls will temporarily close in the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Only groceries, pharmacies, gas stations, post offices and banks will remain open.
Six Georgian textile companies have produced one million face masks in the last two weeks in an effort to help stem the spread of the new coronavirus. Two more companies will also start the production from Monday.
Georgian Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili says that food supplies are regularly monitored and "we have an encouraging situation". He said that there is also enough wheat supply in Georgia and if necessary the country will fill the supplies "from alternative sources and geographical areas".
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said at a meeting with the heads of local grocery chains that the population should not face any shortage of household products amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Two more people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Georgia increasing the total number of cases to 159.
A total of 36 individuals have recovered out of the 170 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia. As of now 131 individuals remain infected in the country. Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze has again called on everyone to stay home and keep social distancing to avoid further spread of the virus.
Georgia has received 6,000 tonnes of wheat via Poti port in western Georgia earlier today. An additional 12,000 tonnes of wheat is expected to arrive in the near future. The wheat was imported by Bevrili Group, a Georgian company that processes flour and produces bread products.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food for Progress programme, is donating an additional 27,000 tonnes of high-quality wheat to support Georgia during the coronavirus outbreak. By the end of this month, USDA will sign 18 small grant agreements, totalling $400,000, ‘to strengthen the dairy, beef, and farming sectors and improve food safety standards’.