Church responds to current coronavirus situation, makes new rules for parish
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The Georgian Patriarchate has responded to claims of inappropriate action in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, stating there are individuals and media outlets in the country that accuse the church of spreading the coronavirus, as churches remain open and parishioners continue to take communion.
We are doing our utmost to meet the recommendations of the National Disease Control Centre. We, once again, urge people who have health problems to stay home. Distance between the people in the church must be two meters, outside it should be 1.5 meters. We are observing the mandatory distance,” the statement said.
The patriarchate said that priests have been recommended to expand Easter rituals for several days to decrease the number of parishes.
The statement says that it is unclear why some focus on the church while there are many more people on public transport or in supermarkets.
Some people particularly oppose the centuries-old communion practice. The people have no knowledge of the importance of the ritual,” the statement said.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus has reached 73 in Georgia, with 10 people having recovered since the beginning of the outbreak.
Two of the 73 are Austrian citizens who have already returned home via a chartered flight.
As of now there are 62 people inside the country infected with the virus.
Governmental webpage stopcov.ge, which provides information, news and updates on the coronavirus situation in the country, will be available in languages spoken by ethnic minorities in the country.
Georgia has reported three more cases of the coronavirus in the evening, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 70, including nine individuals who have recovered. As of now, the number of infected individuals stands at 59 in Georgia out of 70.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus has reached 73 in Georgia, with 10 people having recovered since the beginning of the outbreak. Two of the 73 are Austrian citizens who have already returned home via a chartered flight. As of now there are 61 people inside the country infected with the virus. The new cases are connected with the Marneuli region of Georgia and the US.
The Tbilisi-based Lugar Lab is capable of identifying the origin of certain cases of COVID-19 per its genetic sequence.
Drones from the Emergency Management Service are being used by agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia to monitor the Marneuli quarantined zone in country's east.
One cleric and a guard of the Georgian patriarchate have tested positive for the coronavirus in Georgia, the patriarchate has confirmed.
Sheikh Mirtag Asadov, the chairman of the Supreme Religious Administration of Georgia's All Muslims and three other founders of the religious organisation have been summoned to the State Security Service of Georgia, reports the Human Rights and Monitoring Center (EMC).
The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi has a debt of 256,652 GEL ($86,818/€76,667) for natural gas fees which have been accumulated for three years, says the Tbilisi Energy.
The 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom by the US Department of States says that Georgian laws and policies continue to grant the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) unique privileges.