Georgia closes borders with Armenia, Azerbaijan for 10 days
No restrictions will apply to cargo transportation as a relevant transit corridor will also be ensured for freight. Photo; IPN
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Starting today Georgia will close borders with neighbouring Armenia and Azerbaijan for ten days to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia discussed the temporary suspension of movement with Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan PM Ali Asadov in telephone conversations yesterday.
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The Georgian PM’s press office reported that the parties agreed to facilitate the return of their respective citizens through a humanitarian corridor.
Meanwhile, no restrictions will apply to cargo transportation as a transit corridor will also be ensured for freight.
#Georgia is ready to act&stop #COVID19 by implementing preventive measures in line w/@WHO recommendations @GovernmentGeo announced the measures it will take to limit the spread of #coronavirus in the country #StopCoV
— Giorgi Gakharia (@GakhariaGiorgi) March 12, 2020
Read the full list of measures at https://t.co/A4jVwCXcRM
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has encouraged citizens to be more careful as 25 individuals have tested positive for the COVID-19 in the country.
The Georgian government has moved into an emergency, round-the-clock regime after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of the China-born coronavirus a pandemic.
Based on www.stopcov.ge website, Armenia has eight confirmed cases of coronavirus and Azerbaijan has 15.
The amount of people under quarantine and self-isolation is increasing day by day due to the widespread new coronavirus, Covid-19, in the country, while the private sector is responding with various types of supportive activities, expressing public responsibility in defeating the virus.
The National Bank of Georgia recommends that consumers use contactless pay methods instead of paying by cash to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. It also urges people to use distant banking services instead of going to the banks.
Georgian citizens will have free access to 2093 electronic books on www.lit.ge for a month due to prolonged school holidays amid coronavirus, the information was announced at a meeting held by the Ministry of Education today.
Georgian commercial banks, particularly TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia and Liberty Bank will accept postponed payment on loans for three months. The banks say the decision has been made to prevent people gathering in bank branches and thus to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
Georgia has confirmed five new cases of COVID-19 increasing the total number of infected individuals to 30. Meanwhile, the first individual who tested positive for COVID-19 back on February 26 after returning from Iran, has now tested negative, which means that s/he is getting well.
Travellers from Switzerland, Norway and Denmark will have to present a PCR test for the coronavirus while arriving in Georgia, otherwise they will be placed under mandatory 14-day quarantine. Earlier Georgia introduced the same rules for travellers from China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and Austria.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said at a meeting with the heads of local grocery chains that the population should not face any shortage of household products amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Georgia and Russia will temporarily ban travel from March 16 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. No restrictions will apply to cargo transportation. Movement will also be temporarily suspended with neighbouring Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.