Facemasks may become mandatory outdoors again as Covid-19 cases surge in Georgia

Facemasks may become mandatory outdoors again in Georgia in groups of 5-6 people due to increased Covid-19 cases, Head of Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Amiran Gamkrelidze announced earlier today.

However, the order has not been formally issued yet, the coordinating council will review the proposal. 

Coronavirus cases started to surge in Georgia soon after restrictions such as curfew and wearing face masks outdoors were lifted starting July 1, which aimed to encourage tourists’ inflows for the summer season. 

Gamkrelidze noted that if the epidemiological situation deteriorates the ‘NCDC will address the coordinating council with a recommendation to further tighten’ restrictions. 

Head of the NCDC Gamkrelidze also said that complying with regulations and vaccination can ‘stop the deterioration of the current epidemic situation.’ 

Georgia reported 2,415 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.

Over the last two days 52 people died from coronavirus. 

• PM Garibashvili: our country will not endure another lockdown

PM Garibashvili also warned Georgian citizens of the consequences of another lockdown yesterday, noting that it will create an unbearable situation in the country.

Currently, the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are widely available for Georgian citizens, but the Georgian government also pledges to secure Pfizer vaccines in a large  quantity ‘within a few weeks.’

The Georgian government’s goal is to vaccinate 60 per cent of its citizens by the end of the year.

Currently, 113,895 people are fully vaccinated in Georgia, which based on the data of Our World in Data amounts to about 3% of the country’s population.