34 Georgians evacuated from China screen negative for coronavirus
All of the 34 citizens were brought to Georgia on a special plane, provided by the government have been medically examined upon arrival. Photo: Georgian Heath Ministry/Facebook
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Georgia has evacuated 34 of its citizens from China amid the coronavirus outbreak. Although none of them have the symptoms of the China-born virus, they will still be placed in two-week quarantine.
Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze explained earlier today that the Georgian citizens, who were evacuated from China on a special plane, provided by the Georgian Government, have been medically examined upon arrival.
Amiran Gamkrelidze. Photo: National Centre for Disease Control /Facebook
Gamkrelidze said, they were also asked to provided information about their recent travel record, because, reportedly, some of them might have had communication with those infected with coronavirus.
This was the reason behind a decision to send all of the 34 Georgian citizens to the western Georgian region of Imereti, where they will be provided with the necessary care.
I hereby underscore that none of them has temperature or other suspicious symptoms, which is essential for coronavirus, but nevertheless, it is necessary for them to spend two weeks in quarantine under relevant medical observation”, Gamkrelidze added.
Georgia has temporarily suspended direct flights with China to prevent the spread of coronavirus until March 29. However, those Georgian citizens, who were willing to leave China maid the coronavirus outbreak and return home, were evacuated earlier this month.
Although Amiran Gamkrelidze stated in late January that there was a "low chance" that a new strain of a coronavirus that originates in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province would reach Georgia, passengers travelling from China to Georgia are being examined upon arrival.
Head of the Georgian National Disease Control Centre Amiran Gamkrelidze stated earlier today that the reagents arrived in Georgia at Kutaisi International Airport at 1 a.m. this morning.“We are very grateful to the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, with whom we have been cooperating closely over past several years, to make it possible for us to diagnose the new coronavirus in Tbilisi,” Gamkrelidze said.
Georgian citizens are being evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province, where the new coronavirus originated. Turkey has evacuated three Georgian citizens among other passengers, while France has evacuated two. Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has thanked both countries for arranging flights.
Passengers travelling from China to Georgia are being examined for a new strain of the coronavirus that originates in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Georgian doctors are examining passengers as well as providing them with information on the symptoms of the virus upon arrival.
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