Georgia declares state of emergency until April 21
No more than ten people will be allowed to gather during this time. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Georgia declares a state of emergency to prevent the spread of the coronavirus until April 21.
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said at a news briefing today that no more than ten people will be allowed to gather during this time.
Gakharia said that after a number of restrictions that Georgia had imposed at earlier stages, including the closure of borders, the country is now moving on the stage of internal transmission of the virus, which needs “additional and special measures”.
Our main task, at this stage, is and should be to hinder and stop further spread of the virus,” PM Gakharia stated.
As of today, Georgia has a total of 47 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including the "patient zero", who has recovered and currently stays in self-isolation.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said in her address to the nation today that the declaration of the state of emergency aims to counter the coronavirus pandemic.
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.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced today that all malls will temporarily close in the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Only groceries, pharmacies, gas stations, post offices and banks will remain open.
A price restraint mechanism is ready and has been agreed upon between business and the government. Specifically, prices for nine products will not increase in Georgia, said the Prime Minister’s Spokesperson Irakli Chikovani earlier today.
39 individuals from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, Imereti, Samegrelo, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Shida Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Guria and Adjara regions have been placed under mandatory quarantine within the last 24 hours for violating self-isolation rules to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
A young Georgian woman suffering with cancer has died in Spain after being infected with COVID-19, Deputy Head of the Georgian National Disease Control Centre Paata Imnadze stated today.
Georgia has confirmed one more new case of COVID-19, increasing the total number of infected individuals to 49. As of today 1,966 individuals are under quarantine in Georgia, while 259 others - under medical observation at hospitals.
With 115 votes in favour and zero against, the parliament of Georgia has approved the declaration of a state of emergency until April 21 aimed to counter the global coronavirus pandemic. Addressing the legislators prior to the voting, President Zurabishvili said that the state of emergency imposes only “essential restrictions, not the extreme ones”.
Georgia has reported five new cases of the coronavirus, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 54. However, this figure includes the first three individuals, who have recovered.
Georgia has enough supplies of meat and fish and there are no difficulties in importing cargo and replenishing supplies, announces Georgian Ministry of Agriculture Levan Davitashvili.
The Georgian government has suspended public intercity transport in Georgia today. The restriction does not apply to private vehicles.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has reported that 12 checkpoints have been set up in Marneuli and Bolnisi municipalities in eastern Georgia on major roads earlier today in order to control traffic in the region. Only local residents are allowed to enter the area, however they are not allowed to leave the area for two weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Sixty-six cases of coronavirus have been reported in Georgia starting February 26, 2020. Nine of the 66 have recovered. No deaths have been reported in the country so far. Director of Tbilisi Hospital of Infectious Diseases Marina Ezugbaia confirmed five new cases of coronavirus earlier today, stating that the new patients contracted the virus after travelling to the US. 'All of them were in self-isolation,” she said.
Despite the state of emergency and a nationwide curfew that aim to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Georgia, there are 18 economic activities that still continue in the country. The government of Georgia is authorised to additionally specify a list of those economic activities that are not restricted and whose operation is necessary during an emergency.
Online shopping for all items except food and medical supplies has been suspended in Georgia until April 21 - the date until when the state of emergency is in force - in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
Amnesty International says in its most recent study that Georgia enacted necessary state of emergency measures on April 21. However, it says that concerns were raised that certain anti-Covid-19 measures were applied ‘in a discriminatory fashion.’
Starting today Turkey has reopened its borders for citizens of Georgia and 30 other countries seeking medical treatment in the country.