WHO director-general welcomes Georgia’s efforts to curb spread of coronavirus
PM’s press office reported after the phone conversation that the WHO director-general has ‘praised the preventive steps’ made by the Georgian authorities. Photo: PM's press office
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Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus spoke of the global pandemic, Georgia’s efforts to curb spread of coronavirus and the vaccination process during a phone conversation earlier today.
Held a productive conversation with @DrTedros on the pandemic, effectiveness of @GovernmentGeo steps against COVID-19, vaccination process & negotiations w/ partners apart from COVAX. #Georgia is continuing its close cooperation w/ @WHO in the fight against pandemic & beyond.
— Giorgi Gakharia (@GakhariaGiorgi) December 26, 2020
PM Gakharia and WHO Director-General Gebreyesus alsodiscussed the challenges of hospitals in Georgia, the role of Covid-hotels and home treatment of patients.
Significance of intensive testing program was also noted in the timely identification and isolation of contracting individuals and in curbing the community transfer rate”, PM's press office has stated.
It further noted that Gakharia and Gebreyesus spoke of the vaccination process as well, with the latter promising to assist Georgia in reception of the vaccine as soon as possible.
Georgia is expected to receive the coronavirus vaccine via the COVID-19 the Vaccines Global Access Facility (Covax) platform either in Spring 2021.
However, during the conversation today it was noted that Georgia is actively negotiating with the international partners and pharmaceutical companies to receive the vaccine even before.
As of now Georgia has reported 220,508 cases of COVID-19, including 200,339 recoveries and 2,352 deaths. 17,791 people remain infected with the virus.
The Government of Georgia is determining high risks groups of vaccination after Georgia receives the coronavirus vaccine. Georgian Prime Minister stated yesterday that it is important to start vaccination in the country as soon as possible, using ‘safe and qualitative’ vaccine approved by the United States and the European Union.
Deputy Head of the Task Force under the Interagency Coordination Council Berdia Sichinava announced earlier today that the group is responsible for ensuring the timely import of the vaccines and to supervise infrastructural and logistics processes.
Georgia is expected to receive the coronavirus vaccine either in March or April 2021 via the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (Covax), the head of Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control, Amiran Gamkrelidze, stated earlier today.
Once a vaccine for the coronavirus is approved, it will be available to the Georgian population, at first primarily to risk groups, said Head of the National Disease Control Centre Amiran Gamkrelidze earlier today.
A total of 1,097 cases of coronavirus, 3,208 recoveries and 25 deaths have been reported over the last 24 hours in Georgia. Archbishop Iakob of Bodbe, who recently tested positive for coronavirus, is currently undergoing treatment at First University Clinic in the Georgian capital of Georgia.
Deoccupation ‘through peaceful means and with support of the international community’, restoration of territorial integrity and dignified return of refugees and internally displaced persons are among Georgia’s key foreign policy goals based on the resolution adopted by the Georgian parliament.
Once Georgia receives the coronavirus vaccine, it will initially be available to medics, epidemiologists and elderly people in nursing homes, said Head of the National Disease Control Centre Amiran Gamkrelidze today.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated earlier today that state social assistance and social sustainability will be the main task of the Georgian government in 2021.
Georgian Health Officials say that the country will be able to receive only 200,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine against coronavirus as of today as Georgia lacks refrigeration facilities to keep the vaccines in mandatory -80 degree conditions.
The Pfizer vaccine may be the first vaccine Georgia uses to combat the coronavirus in the near future, said Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze earlier today.
The first doses of Pfizer vaccine that will be administered to health workers are due to arrive in Georgia by late February. Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has made an announcement following his phone conversation with the World Health Organisation head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier today.