Georgia's health system providing over 500 beds, preparing to add more for combating coronavirus
Select medical venues in Georgia will have thousands tof beds made available for potential coronavirus patients in stages. Photo via Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons From the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia.
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Over 500 beds are available at designated health venues in Georgia for combating the new coronavirus, the Minister of Health said on Thursday.
Ekaterine Tikaradze told reporters at a briefing the select medical venues were ready to receive patients in case of need.
The minister also said further stages of opening up more spaces with beds at hospitals were in plans.
A reserve of 700 beds was available at hospitals designated a part of a "second group" of venues, with another 700 to 800 in a "third group".
Tikaradze also announced professionals dealing with providing the resources were preparing to add between 1,000-1,500 beds on top of the above-mentioned reserve at venues.
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.
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 two new cases of COVID-19 earlier today, with the total number of infected people with the respiratory infection standing at 39. Since February 26, 2020 Georgia has had 40 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with one already recovered and discharged. Health officials say that the condition of three patients [of 39] is separately severe as one is over 80, having chronic illness, while two others also suffer from other health issues.
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.
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.
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.