Georgia confirms three new cases of coronavirus

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. 

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 government of Georgia has created a website - www.stopcov.ge - to inform the public about the coronavirus and provide information about the measures taken by the government to prevent thr spread of the coronavirus across the country.

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. 

Georgian National Disease Control Centre (NDCD) says that one Czech and one Slovak who traveled in Georgia between March 4 and 9 in a six-member tourist group have recently tested positive for Covid-19 in their countries, and have informed the Georgian NCDC of their status, which ‘shows their high sense of responsibility.’ The NCDC says that while in Georgia the tourists had no symptoms and did not call doctors. 

The Georgian government has announced a temporary, two-week closure of its borders for all foreign citizens, with exceptions, to avoid the further spread of the Covid-19 virus. The ban will come into effect starting March 18, at 00:00. The government says that Georgian citizens [and their family members] who want to come back to the country will be able to use the flights of Georgian Airways or Turkish Airlines. 

The Georgian government announced a temporary ban on incoming flights on Monday. However, even before the move streets in the Georgian capital looked deserted as locals stayed home and number of travellers plummeted amid fears around the spread of Covid-19.

One individual who had contact with three people who were recently infected has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, director of Tbilisi Hospital of Infectious Diseases Marina Ezugbaia stated earlier today. The condition of the new patient is not severe, Ezugbaia said. Since February 26, 2020 Georgia has had 34 confirmed cases of the China-born respiratory infection, with one recovered and discharged yesterday. 

Georgia has reported four new cases of the coronavirus earlier today, bringing the total number of cases to 822. 690 of the 822 patients have recovered, while 13 others have died. As of today 119 people remain infected with COVID-19 in Georgia. Two of the four new cases are imported, one is a medical personnel and the remaining one is connected with the Saburtalo cluster. 

Mestia municipality in western Georgia, one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country, has been placed on lockdown as 16 people have tested positive in the past two days in the municipality for the coronavirus. People will not be able to enter or leave the municipality without the police’s consent. Tourists who are now in the municipality will be placed under quarantine in hotels where they are currently located (if the hotels meet the recommendations of Georgia’s Health Ministry) or will be transported to other quarantine zones. 

Georgia has reported 14 new cases of the coronavirus earlier today. Forty-four COVID-19 patients have recovered over the past 24 hours. Most of the patients who have recovered are Georgian soldiers who tested positive for the coronavirus while serving in the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan last month and were transported home for treatment.