Coronavirus preventive measures tightened in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region
Joint groups of police, military servicemen and healthcare professionals will monitor residents to enforce state of emergency regulations. Photo: Government of Georgia press office
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Starting today, public transport has been suspended in the western Georgian region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti to counter the further spread of COVID-19.
Joint groups of police, military servicemen and healthcare professionals will monitor residents to enforce state of emergency regulations. Checkpoints will also be set up on major roads.
Photo: Defence Ministry press office
Governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Alexandre Motserelia said these measures aim to prevent the possible risk of the virus.
We are very close to the occupation line… it is possible that our citizens living in Abkhazia might also come to our region for treatment”, Motserelia said.
He also noted that the only “powerful weapon” against the further spread of the virus is to stay home.
Locals will be allowed to move in towns and villages only for emergency needs. No more than three people will be allowed to travel by car and all the passengers should be wearing face masks. 
Photo: Interior Ministry press office
Earlier, the region provided new quarantine facilities to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
The hotels of Palm Beach, Pratap’s and Anaklia, which together have more than 138 rooms in total, will be used to quarantine individuals for 14 day-periods.
Two quarantine locations have been chosen in the town of Mestia as well.
Two minor patients have recovered from COVID-19 in Georgia increasing the total number of recovered individuals in the country to 18. 70 infected individuals out of the total 90 remain at various hospitals throughout the country.
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.
The United States Government is providing $1.1 million assistance to Georgia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will help prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication and more
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.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili visited a checkpoint at the entrance of the Marneuli municipality which is under quarantine for the seventh day now. President Zurabishvili thanked police, military servicemen and healthcare professionals for their nonstop fight against the coronavirus.
Police have fined a total of 125 individuals for violating the state of emergency rules in Georgia during the last 24 hours. The Georgian Interior Ministry calls on the population to follow the rules of the state of emergency.
An additional police checkpoint will be set up in the village of Kvemo Bolnisi in Bolnisi Municipality which is under quarantine for the tenth day now. The Georgian Interior Ministry announced today that this aims to ensure the enforcement of “significantly tough measures” imposed during the state of emergency.
Additional police checkpoints will be set up in Georgia’s western Vani Municipality. Medics will thermoscreen all citizens at the checkpoints in order to prevent the spread on the new coronavirus. Government has made the decision since several new cases of the virus have been confirmed in Georgia earlier today out of which one is connected with Vani municipality.
Georgia has confirmed six new cases of the coronavirus earlier today, bringing the total number of cases to 214. In most of the new cases the source of the infection has been identified and they are connected with foreign states.Of the 214, 50 have recovered, three have died, while two others were foreign citizens who left the country last month. As of today Georgia has 159 active cases of the virus.
Georgia has confirmed six new cases of the coronavirus earlier today, bringing the total number of cases to 214. In most of the new cases the source of the infection has been identified and they are connected with foreign states.Of the 214, 50 have recovered, three have died, while two others were foreign citizens who left the country last month. As of today Georgia has 159 active cases of the virus.
The Georgian Interior Ministry reported earlier today that its eleven employees have tested positive for the coronavirus. All of them feel well and epidemiologists are now actively studying their contacts. Over 20 individuals have already been transferred to the quarantine zone, the Interior Ministry reported.