Georgian PM visits Lugar Centre, praises its ‘enormous merit’ in the fight against the coronavirus [VIDEO]

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia visited the US-built Lugar Centre in Tbilisi earlier today, with heads of Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)  and Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze. 

• PM Gakharia thanks US for Lugar Centre

Gakharia said that the centre, which is under the full control of the Georgian government - the National Centre for Disease Control- since 2013, has played a major role for the containment and then in the fight against the coronavirus. 

• Read about the Lugar Centre activities here.

It is the merit of the centre, the  professionalism and huge efforts of its employees that the coronavirus situation has been under control in Georgia so far,” Gakharia said. 

Video by the governmnet of Georgia press office.

NCDC head Amiran Gamkrelidze briefed the PM on the researches which are being conducted in the centre, including the ones concerning the coronavirus. 

The centre has tested people for the coronavirus since January 30, 2020. 

Now 18 other labs around the country are able to make the tests. 

Only 73 individuals could be tested on the coronavirus in March 2020 on a daily basis, while, by August, almost 10,000 samples can be studied daily.

The lab with its modern equipment allows Georgia to effectively diagnose dangerous illnesses and carry out epidsurveliamce. Most of the countries in the region are not able to do so. I want to thank our strategic partner, the US, for building the centre,” Gakharia said.

• US responds to Russia’s redoubled efforts of ‘borderisation’ in Georgia amid pandemic, attacks on Lugar Centre

The centre has been attacked by Russia since its opening, accusing the US of conducting ‘dangerous experiments’ there.