Georgia in talks with US Gilead to receive experimental, antiviral drug used against COVID-19
Remdesivir, a medicine created for use in treating Ebola, has also been used in the treatment against COVID-19.
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Georgia is negotiating with large US biopharmaceutical company Gilead to receive Remdesivir – an experimental medicine that has been used since 2015 against Ebola, which has also been used by Chinese doctors against COVID-19 in some cases.
Remdesivir, which was created by Gilead, has been very actively used against COVID-19 in China, together with other anti-virus medicines, as well as anti-HIV drugs. The Georgian government has requested Gilead provide the medicine and I believe that the request will be granted and we will have the medicine in reserve stock”, head of the Georgian National Disease Control Centre Amiran Gamkrelidze stated earlier today.
Gilead has been providing Georgia with anti-Hepatitis C medicines since 2015.
Gamkrelidze also said that most commercial shops, except pharmacies and markets, should be temporarily closed to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 virus.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has instructed all ministries to provide plans regarding further restrictions by the end of the day.
Georgian troops will be confined to barracks from March 21 to prevent the possible spread of the coronavirus. Defence Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced earlier today that his priority is to protect the Georgian servicemen and their families amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Over 500 beds are available at designated health venues in Georgia for combating the new coronavirus, the Minister of Health said on Thursday.
Georgian citizens who are now in the EU Schengen Zone and will have to violate the legal, 90-day-term of stay due to restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 virus, will receive ‘personal support’ from the Georgian government.Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani says that his body is in active communication with the European Commission and the EU member states to support Georgian citizens who are unable to leave the Schengen Zone.
Georgia’s National Tourism Administration (GNTA) will create quarantine zones for Georgian citizens returning to the country from abroad amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus – COVID-19, said GNTA head Mariam Kvrivishvili today.
A 74-year-old Georgian woman with underlying chronic disease has died in Spain after being infected with COVID-19, the Georgian government has confirmed.
The Georgian government will gift around half a million face masks made in the country to people who have active contact with people due to their profession, the Georgian Ministry of Economy reports.
Georgia has reported three new cases of COVID-19 virus earlier today, with the total number of infected individuals standing at 42. Since February 26, 2020 Georgia has had 43 confirmed cases of the virus. However, one has recovered and was discharged. As of now 1,575 are under quarantine in Georgia, with 275 others in hospitals.
Georgia will participate in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) international clinical trial to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19, and will receive access to four experimental medicines used in the process, Deputy Health Minister of Georgia Tamar Gabunia told Rustavi 2 earlier today.
Georgia has reported 1,337 new cases, 3,498 recoveries and 49 deaths in the past 24 hours. 6,554 tests have been conducted in the past 24 hours around the country; 3,064 of the 6,554 tests were rapid tests, while the remaining 3,490 were PCR tests. Georgia has had 191,063 cases of coronavirus since February. 161,681 of the 191,063 individuals have recovered, while 1,839 others have died. 27,517 individuals remain infected with Covid-19 in Georgia as of today.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated earlier today that for the first time in the past several months the country reported less than 3,000 daily infections from more than 17,000 daily tests. Georgia has reported 2,981 new cases, 2,001 recoveries and 31 deaths in the past 24 hours. 17,029 tests have been conducted in the past 24 hours around the country (8,859 of the 17,029 tests were rapid tests, while the remaining 8,170 were PCR tests).
Remdesivir, a US-produced medicine against Ebola which is also used against Covid-19, has entered Georgia and will be used in the treatement of Covid-19 patients who are in critical condition from Monday, Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze stated earlier today.