Economy Minister: Direct Flights with China will be Temporarily Suspended

"Georgia will have to suspend direct flights with China," Minister of Economy Natia Turnava said on Tuesday.

She noted that although Georgia is considered as a low risk area for coronavirus, the decision can be considered as a preventive measure. 

“The Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Health and other agencies are involved in a unified coordination group and everything is being done to take the necessary preventive measures. Passengers arriving from China are screened and we are also involved in this process, however, I think we will have to make the decision to suspend direct flights from China. Although there is no reason to panic and Georgia is still considered as an area with low risk of virus, we think this decision will be necessary in order to keep the calm," she said.

Emergency Coordination and Emergency Center crews joined the team of epidemiologists at Tbilisi International Airport to begin taking preventive measures against the spread of coronavirus.

Medics check passengers via both remote thermometers and personal interviews. They also provide information on the symptomatic characteristics of the virus. In terms of the potential spread of the virus, Georgia is among the countries at low risk.