2,200 tested for coronavirus in Georgia - 110 positive in all

More than 2,200 individuals have been tested for coronavirus in Georgia since February, 2020 and only 110 have been positive.

Deputy Head of Georgia’s National Disease Control Centre Paata Imnadze said earlier today that the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method has been used, adding that it is the method Tbilisi Lugar Lab uses to diagnose the virus, and that it takes several hours to give a result. 

This method is a golden standard, making no false results," Imnadze said.

• Coronavirus: nationwide curfew comes into effect, total number of infected people stands at 110

Deputy Health Minister Tamar Gabunia said that Georgia received 2,000 rapid tests on Sunday, based on the polymerase spiral reaction (PSR) method, and it will be decided in the coming days which hospitals will receive them.

We also have 4,000 other, antibody based tests, which need more time [than PSR] to diagnose the virus. However, both of the tests have their role in diagnosing the virus,” Gabunia said. 

She stated that Georgia is negotiating with Chinese and South Korean companies to purchase rapid tests and have them in the country as soon as possible.

We are also negotiating with American Cepheid, the only company which is producing cartridge-based tests for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.These are tests of top quality, which give results more rapidly than any other rapid tests. By the end of April we are likely to know when Georgia will receive the tests,” Gabunia said.

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.