Coronavirus: number of confirmed cases increases to 30 in Georgia

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.

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 government of Georgia has presented an anti-crisis plan for Georgian businesses in order to ease the burden caused by the coronavirus crisis. The government responded to the demand of the hotels, restaurants, tourist agencies and tour operators in Georgia and decided to postpone payment of property and income tax by four months.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili encourages citizens to be more careful amid the recent coronavirus outbreak in the world, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.

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.

One Georgian citizen who had tested positive for the new China-born coronavirus in February has been reportedly cured. Medical director of Tbilisi Infectious Disease Hospital, Marina Ezugbaia stated  today that the first individual who had tested positive for COVID-19 back on February 26 after returning from Iran, has now tested negative. 

Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air will temporarily suspend flights to Austria, France, Germany and Spain from the Kutaisi International Airport in the western Georgian town of Kutaisi, to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19. In particular, flights will be suspended from March 16 to April 3, Kutaisi International Airport announced earlier today.

Georgia has reported seven new cases of the coronavirus earlier today. Five of the seven new patients have had contact with infected individuals, one case is imported, while the remaining one individual does not know how he contracted the virus. Since February 26, 2020 Georgia has had 1,213 cases of the coronavirus. 994 of the 1,213 patients have recovered, while 17 others have died.As of today 202 people, who contracted the virus in the country, remain infected with the COVID-19. 

Georgia has reported 23 new cases of the coronavirus earlier today. Six of the 23 new patients are from Lenjeri village of Mestia municipality which is on lockdown. Eleven of the new patients contracted the virus from contact with infected individuals in the country, two new cases were imported (both are truck drivers), one new patient is a medical personnel, while the source of infection has not been identified in the remaining three cases. Since February 26, 2020 Georgia has had 1,306 cases of the coronavirus.