State of emergency, vehicle restrictions to be extended in Georgia

The state of emergency is likely to be extended in Georgia until May 22, while the restrictions on the private car use, which entered into force on April 17, will be maintained through April 26. 

The government has appealed to the president and the president has already issued the decree regarding the extension of the state of emergency which was declared on March 21. 

The restrictions on the private vehicle use around the country will be gradually lifted starting April 27,” the PM’s Spokesman Irakli Chikovani said earlier today. 

Chikovani stated that after the country overcomes the peak of the coronavirus, after two-three weeks, the country will be able to lift restrictions, including economic restrictions. 

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Georgian health officials say that the country has the resource to provide comprehensive medical treatment for up to 1,600 COVID-19 patients. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

The opposition says that they will not support the extension of the state of emergency, after the president submits the request, if the government fails to present the ‘genuine anti-crisis plan.’ 

Head of the National Disease Control Centre Amiran Gamkrelidze says that ‘no one is happy with the restrictions.’ However, he said, Georgia is going through a complicated period in the fight against the coronavirus.

We are expecting a (sharp) increase in the [number of] infected people by the end of April and the first two weeks of May,” Gamkrelidze said. 

As of today Georgia has 408 cases of the coronavirus. 97 individuals have recovered