Face Mask Shortage in Georgian Pharmacies

Earlier today, a number of patients suffering coronavirus-like symptoms, were admitted to Tbilisi Infections Hospital. Ekaterine Tikaradze, Georgian Minister of IDPs, Labor, Health and Social Affairs, announced at a special briefing later that only one of the 14 patients thought to have caught the virus, was diagnosed with novel coronavirus. The infected is a citizen of Georgia, a 50-year-old man who traveled to Georgia through Azerbaijan from Iran yesterday.

The information about coronavirus entering the country spread like the disease itself: fast. Just half an hour later, Georgian social media featured photos of people standing in lines at shops and pharmacies to stock up groceries and face masks. It didn’t take long for the pharmacies to go short of face masks, as people rushed there in panic as soon as the coronavirus case was confirmed in Georgia.

It was reported in fact that on Peking street in Tbilisi, only one 24/7 pharmacy had facial masks to sell roughly 40 minutes after Tikaradze made the announcement. Since the lines were only getting longer, the pharmacist was told to set a limit of 10 facial masks per customer, one costing 0.95 GEL.

The Health Ministry has reported that it will help pharmacies import face masks since the demand had increased so dramatically. They also underlined that not only Georgia but the world is facing a shortage of face masks.

For now, the Georgian authorities have asked citizens to keep calm, since there is no reason to panic.  

By Nini Dakhundaridze