Gov’t announces nationwide curfew

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced a nationwide curfew starting tomorrow at 8 a.m, ‘to effectively contain the spread of coronavirus in Georgia’. 

Speaking at a special briefing earlier today, Gakharia said that the government has made ‘fast, brave and effective’ decisions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, that is why the country has only had 100 confirmed cases of the virus since February 2020, including 18 recovered. 

Gakharia said that people in several regions refuse to stick to the rules which has made it necessary to declare a lockdown around the country.

What does the lockdown entail? 

• Starting tomorrow, a curfew will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. 
• All public transport, including the metro, will be suspended.
• Private vehicles (as well as taxi) will only be allowed to travel with a maximum of three people, including the driver, and two must sit in the backseat.
• Only people needed at strategically important locations may be transported in groups in an organised manner.
• People will not be able to gather in more than groups of three; the ban does not extend to pharmacies and food markets, where people must keep a distance from one another. 
• Enterprises will continue to work and they are likely to have their own protocol so as ‘not to fully stop the economy.'
• People over 70 will be allowed out only if they go to the nearest market, pharmacy or hospital.
• To screen people and carry out better control of the situation special checkpoints will be set up in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Poti, Zugdidi and Gori. 
• Everyone must have ID documents with them. 
• A special hotline, 144, will be created to answer people’s questions about the measures free of charge.