Gov’t announces nationwide curfew

"These are very difficult times not only for the EU, but for our partner countries as well. We are doing all we can to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on human lives and livelihoods. We are responding both to the immediate needs of the health systems, as well as longer term needs to the most vulnerable groups in society and small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of the economies in the six countries,” Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said.

Georgian Agriculture Ministry will spend 16 million GEL ($4.86 mln/€4.42 mln) to make sugar, oil and pasta stocks in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak.The ministry will buy 5,000 tonnes of sugar, 500 tonnes of pasta and 1.5 tonnes of sunflower oil.

Georgia has reported seven new cases of coronavirus earlier today, with the total number of confirmed cases standing at 98. 78 of the 98 are active cases, as 18 have recovered and two were foreign citizens who have already left the country.4,978 are under quarantine and 266 others in hospitals. 

One more individual has tested positive for the new coronavirus in Georgia, bringing total confirmed cases to 91. Medical director of Tbilisi Hospital of Infectious Diseases Marina Ezugbaia said s/he had returned from England and was self-isolating until now.

A 50-year-old woman, who was transferred from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region into Tbilisi-controlled territory late on March 29, has tested positive for COVID-19. 

Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has confirmed earlier today that 100 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Georgia since the outbreak. 

Specialists from foreign states are consulting Georgian epidemiologists on their success in containing the coronavirus, announced the head of Tbilisi Infectious Disease Hospital Tengiz Tsertsvadze on Imedi TV’s 'Imedis Kvira'. 

Tougher restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 go into force today, including a nationwide curfew that will be in effect from 21:00 – 06:00. Public transport has also been suspended, and the public cannot gather in groups of more than three people. The measures will be in place until at least April 21. Georgia has had 110 confirmed cases of the virus starting from February 26, 2020. 

There are about forty fever clinics throughout the country which are ready to treat patients, said Deputy Minister of Health Tamar Gabunia earlier today. Gabunia noted that many hospitals in the regions had refused to accept patients with fever. She added that the hospitals which can take in patients with fever have already been identified in the regions.

Starting today currency exchange booths and other financial organisations have temporarily stopped functioning today in Georgia with an aim towards reducing the spread of the coronavirus in the country, announces the National Bank of Georgia (NBG).

Georgia has reported four new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 130. One of the four new cases reported today is connected with Armenia, two cases with France and the source of the remaining one is being identified, Director of Tbilisi Hospital of Infections Diseases Marina Ezugbaia said earlier today. 

The Interagency Coordination Council, a body charged with orchestrating the response to the new coronavirus, will begin working remotely starting today and carry out sessions online to avoid gathering people as a measure against the spread of the new coronavirus.

3,271 individuals have been tested for COVID-19 in Georgia (as of April 7) since January 2020, while the country has had 208 cases so far. A handful of individuals have been tested several times and 3,457 tests have been used in total. In all the cases, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, a gold-standard in epidemiology for detecting viral matter in blood samples, was used. The method takes just several hours to give results, but is highly accurate.

The date when restrictions on air traffic and public transport services will be removed remains unknown as it depends on the epidemiological situation in the country, noted Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia earlier today.

Georgian health officials say that Georgia’s statistics pertaining to the coronavirus are reliable, dismissing reports of several media outlets that the country is hiding its real figures. 

8,716 individuals and 21 companies were fined for violating the coronavirus-related restrictions between March 21 and May 22, the Georgian Interior Ministry reports. 

The Georgian government has decided to shorten the curfew from between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. to between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Restaurants and cafes will be able to receive consumers in their open spaces throughout the week. Earlier they were unable to receive consumers on the weekend. Georgia first imposed curfew in March 2020. 

In order to support the farmers sell their agricultural produce the Georgian government has decided to shorten the curfew from between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. to between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., announces Chief of the Operational Staff of the Interagency Coordination Council Giorgi Gibradze.