Gov’t says shortage of groceries, other household products not expected
PM Giorgi Gakharia and his economic team met with the top managers of local grocery chairs yesterday. Photo: Government of Georgia/Facebook
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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.
The entire government infrastructure is ready to support you make sure that groceries and household products get to shelves on time, in sufficient quantities and with prices adequate to current challenges”, Gakharia said.
PM Gakharia said in response to public confusion over the spread of the coronavirus that there is no need to declare national emergency in the country.
PM Giorgi Gakharia and his economic team met with the top managers of local grocery chairs yesterday. Photo: Government of Georgia/Facebook
Minister of Agriculture Levan Davitashvili also underscored that Georgia has enough supplies of groceries and other household products, so that the country is "much better prepared than many leading European countries”.
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Economy Minister Natia Turnava also confirmed that there are enough supplies of product at the Georgian grocery chains and the prices on products are also stable so far.
Photo: Government of Georgia/Facebook
Director Generals of Ori Nabiji, Nikora and Goodwill, Giorgi Georbelidze, Irakli Bokolishvili and Giorgi Khabashvili also underscored that the consumers have no reason to panic as their chains have enough supplies of products and no increase of prices is expected.
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.
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.
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.
Three individuals have tested positive for the new China-born coronavirus in Georgia, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 33. All of the three had contact with foreigners from the countries, which are currently the largest centres of the 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 received a total of 63 tonnes of food stuffs and medical supplies via Batumi port in western Georgia earlier today. Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia welcomed the two ships carrying 40 tonnes of food stuffs and 23 tonnes of medicines.
Georgia has received 6,000 tonnes of wheat via Poti port in western Georgia earlier today. An additional 12,000 tonnes of wheat is expected to arrive in the near future. The wheat was imported by Bevrili Group, a Georgian company that processes flour and produces bread products.