Health official announces fifth wave of coronavirus, calls for vaccination

Therefore, the vaccination marathon was launched yesterday involving about 50 villages in various regions of Georgia and aiming to raise awareness about the benefits of vaccination. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge. 

Agenda.ge, 19 Oct 2021 - 11:30, Tbilisi,Georgia

Head of Georgia's National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Amiran Gamkrelidze has stated that a fifth wave of Covid-19 has already started in the country, noting that ‘vaccination is the solution.’ 

Georgia has reported 5,739 new cases of coronavirus and 36 deaths in the last 24 hours and currently, a total of 44,043 individuals remain infected with the virus. 

The epidemic situation in the country [Georgia] is still getting worse. The fifth wave has begun. Unfortunately, a very difficult November is ahead,” Gamkrelidze said. 

He also noted that it is possible to save thousands of lives through vaccination. 

At least as many people need to be vaccinated as are vaccinated at this stage,” stated Gamkrelidze. 

Overall, 907,106 people are fully vaccinated in Georgia as of today and 1,013,507 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine. 

However, the daily rate of vaccination has reached the lowest level in the country yesterday with only 6,203 individuals getting the jab. 

Image: datacov.mog.gov.ge.

The Georgian government aims to vaccinate 30,000 people daily in order to reach its vaccination goal of 60% of the country’s population by the end of this year.

Therefore, the vaccination marathon was launched yesterday involving about 50 villages in various regions of Georgia and aiming to raise awareness about the benefits of vaccination. 

Immunologist-allergist Bidzina Kulumbegov has also warmed the country’s population of severe consequences and stated that Georgia ‘will again face the need to open field hospitals’ as the number of active cases exceeded 40,000.

A total of 99 kindergartens out of 186 are temporarily closed in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi due to the increased coronavirus cases. 

Kindergartens and schools resumed in-person studies across the country on October 4.

Vaccination in Georgia started on March 15 this year and AstraZeneca was the first coronavirus vaccine Georgia received after which only Chinese vaccines were available for Georgian citizens until the summer when the country received the Pfizer vaccine. 

Currently, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are available in all regions of Georgia.