Georgian PM hosts ‘country’s best friends’, ambassadors in Kakheti as domestic tourism resumes
Georgian PM hosted foreign ambassadors in the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia. Photo: government of Georgia press office.
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Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has hosted members of the diplomatic corps at Lopota Lake in the Kakheti region earlier today, where he spoke about the coronavirus crisis, the country’s plans to reboot the economy, how to proceed with the October elections and other intentions.
Gakharia noted that today the domestic tourism has resumed in Georgia and that ‘Kakheti is lucky as Georgia’s best friends, foreign ambassadors, are visiting the region as tourists.’
Gakharia stated that the coronavirus is a global pandemic and no single country is able to defeat it alone.’
We must learn to living in the presence of the virus, adapt ourselves to the situation,” Gakharia said.
He stated that Georgia successfully contained the first wave of the coronavirus thanks to the ‘government's efforts, our people, and our foreign friends.’
EU ambassador at the meeting. Photo: government of Georgia press office.
Gakharia said that the government is doing its utmost to minimise the cases of the coronavirus by parliamentary elections in autumn.
We will be able to do this. The elections will be fair and transparent, Gakharia said.
He thanked the US for the construction of the Lugar Laboratory and stated that Georgia can conduct 4,500 PCR tests on a daily basis.
Minister of Economy Natia Turnava said that the fact that Georgia resumed domestic tourism as scheduled ‘means that we have done everything in the correct way.’
We are receiving good news starting the morning that most of the rooms in our hotels are already booked,” Turnava told the ambassadors.
Ambassadors stated that they will travel in Georgia with pleasure. Photo: government of Georgia press office.
German Ambassador to Georgia Hubert Knirsch stated that he will travel in Georgia ‘with great pleasure,’ expressing hope that the October parliamentary elections will be the ‘triumph of democracy.’
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell stated that not only economic issues were discussed at the meeting.
We are happy that the government invited us to speak about the socially vulnerable people as well and about their rights during the pandemic. We should all learn based on experience, this also concerns Georgia. However, on the other hand, Georgia can also teach others and the results the country has achieved prove this,” Hartzell said.
The ambassadors have reiterated their support for Georgia.
At a meeting with the diplomatic corps in the Kakheti region of Georgia the Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia thanked the United States for its contribution in founding the Lugar Laboratory in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
Head of Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze says the academic year will begin in September and the parliamentary elections will be held in October without any problems if Georgia maintains the current rate of infection.
Georgia has reported 15 new cases of the coronavirus earlier today, bringing the total number of cases to 879. 704 of the 879 patients have recovered, while 14 others have died. As of today 161 people remain infected with COVID-19 in Georgia. 10 of the 15 new patients are from the quarantine zone, two are medical personnel and one is from the Saburtalo cluster.
Domestic tourism resumes today in Georgia, while the country will open its doors to international tourists on July 1. Railway travel also resumes today. Georgian Railway officials say the company is ready to ensure the safe transportation of passengers and to implement the regulations imposed by the Ministry of Health of Georgia.
Georgia has reported no new cases of the coronavirus over the past 24 hours. The country has had 879 cases of the coronavirus since February 26, 2020. 724 of the 879 patients have recovered, while 14 others have died. As of today 141 people remain infected with COVID-19 in Georgia. Head of Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze stated yesterday that the academic year will begin in September and the parliamentary elections will be held in October without any problems if Georgia maintains the current rate of infection.
The US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says that every new election in Georgia is held in a better way than previous ones, stating that the upcoming parliamentary elections in the autumn ‘are of high importance and we will observe them closely.’
Three individuals have tested positive for the coronavirus later today. Two of the new patients are Azerbaijani truck drivers, while one is a citizen of Georgia.
Residents of Georgia will not need to be placed in mandatory quarantine upon arrival to Germany for business, education or health-related needs starting June 15. However, Germany has not yet reopened its airspace for tourists from non-EU member states, including Georgia.
Georgia has reported nine new cases of the coronavirus earlier today, bringing the total number of cases to 888. 731 of the 888 patients have recovered, while 14 others have died. As of today 143 people remain infected with COVID-19 in the country. Two of the nine new patients had had contact with infected individuals, six are from the quarantine zone, while the remaining one does not know how he contacted the virus.
Georgia has reported just two new cases of the coronavirus earlier today, bringing the total number of cases to 895, of which 741 have recovered, while 14 others have died. As of today 140 people remain infected with COVID-19 in the country. Georgia continues to maintain a low infection rate.
With the reopening of domestic tourism in Georgia the government has decided to allow open-air seminars, trainings and outdoor adventure activities, such as rafting, kayaking, canyoning and all kinds of land and air adventures Georgia has to offer.
Georgia is following international trends in travel and will soon decide what to do in terms of international tourism, taking into account the need to maintain a low infection rate in the country. Opening up international tourism was one of the main issues the government discussed at the Inter-agency Coordination Council meeting earlier today.
About 910,800 Georgian tourists aged 15 years or more made one million visits (-37.2%) within Georgia in 2020. The number of visitors has decreased by 8.3% year-on-year, says the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat).