UPDATED: 16 recover from coronavirus in Georgia out of 90 confirmed cases

Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze said today that two sources of COVID-19 transmission out of the 85 confirmed cases could not be identified. Calling on everyone to stay home, he said “social distancing is the most powerful weapon" against the coronavirus. 

A new hospital has opened in the village of Rukhi located about a kilometre from Enguri Bridge, which connects Russia-occupied Abkhazia with the rest of Georgia. Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said the new hospital will offer qualitative care to people living on both sides of the occupation line.

Police have fined seven individuals for violating the state of emergency rules in the Georgian regions of Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Adjara and Kakheti. 

Police have fined 3 individuals for violating self-isolation rules in Georgia’s western Imereti, Guria regions and in Eastern Mtskheta-Mtianeti region today.

Brand hotels in Georgia have given space to the government free of charge in recent days to place Georgian citizens under quarantine in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus - COVID-19.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has praised the efforts of the Georgian government against the coronavirus, saying that the country is coping with the virus successfully. Stoltenberg phoned Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani to relay this message and say that the NATO foreign ministerial on April 3-4 will be held in a restricted manner, Georgian Foreign Ministry said. “NATO stands by the Georgian government and its people in the fight against the coronavirus,” the foreign ministry cited Stoltenberg as saying. 

Cinema production studios and the Georgian National Film Centre have made over a dozen contemporary films available for viewing for free online, in a move aimed at cheering up those in social isolation from COVID-19 risks.

The number of cases of coronavirus has reached 188 in Georgia as of the morning of April 6.36 of the 188 have recovered, while two elderly women, with several underlying health issues have died.148 people inside the country remain infected with the virus (two of the 188 were foreign citizens who left Georgia last month). 5,056 are under quarantine and 386 others are in hospitals.

Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze has urged people, parishioners, to stay home and pray to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. “As clerics frequently say and I also believe in this, God is omnipresent. We have the opportunity to stay home and pray and clerics will pray for us from churches”, Tikaradze said earlier today. Deputy Head of the National Disease Control Centre Paata Imnadze also urged  parishioners to stay home and through doing so “protect the church and the whole country.” 

Georgia has reported seven new cases of the coronavirus today, bringing the total number of cases to 195.Of the 195, 39 have recovered, while two have died. As of now there are 152 active cases of the virus inside the country. 4,708 people are under quarantine in Georgia and 370 others are in hospitals. The new cases are connected with the US, while three of the seven cases are cases of community transmission. 

All four checkpoints between Georgia and Azerbaijan will remain closed until April 20 per measures taken by Azerbaijan to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported earlier today.