Coronavirus Updates: Georgia & the World

In our Tuesday report, we noted that more and more countries around the globe have been announcing their first cases of coronavirus and deaths caused by it. The fact continues three days on, with Bosnia and Herzegovina reporting its first case, and Switzerland its first death from Covid-2019.

In China, where the virus originated in December last year, 31 new deaths were announced on Thursday, which pushed the death toll above 3000, the number now globally standing at 3287.

March 5th’s reports say that, worldwide, coronavirus cases have exceeded 95,000. 53,700 of those infected have already recovered while 6% of cases have ended in death. Although the fatality of the coronavirus remains low, it is still spreading fast, causing the governments of countries around the world to take or consider serious measures.

Italy, which is the center of the virus outbreak in Europe, has seen 3089 cases and 107 deaths so far. Most of the European coronavirus cases originated from Italy: people travelled from there to other European states taking the virus with them. This alarming fact has led to Italy shutting its schools and canceling public events. It is expected to raise support spending to five billion Euros, as many states urge their citizens to keep from traveling around the country to prevent the virus spreading any further.

Having reported its 10th case, Greece, too, shut schools in the country’s three areas and canceled public gatherings.

Across the ocean, US Congress voted for an $8.3bn emergency funding package to fight the coronavirus. This came after the States reported the country’s 11th fatal case from the disease.

Due to school closures in 13 countries out of fear of coronavirus spreading faster and farther, over 290 million students have been affected. The UN thinks this fact might threaten the right to education.

"While temporary school closures as a result of health and other crises are not new; unfortunately, the global scale and speed of the current educational disruption is unparalleled and, if prolonged, could threaten the right to education," Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said in a statement.

Georgian students are among those 290 million. Following Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s orders, all schools, colleges and kindergartens shut their doors from March 2 to 16 and are undergoing disinfection works. During the week, the underground passages and public transportation of Tbilisi and big towns in Georgia’s regions were also disinfected. Posters with information about the coronavirus can be found inside all buses and subway trains in Tbilisi. The government has also set up an online platform to raise awareness about the novel coronavirus and a special website has been created where net searchers can find information about the disease, including recommendations to stay healthy and virus-free.

On Thursday morning, the 4th case of coronavirus was reported in Georgia. The infected patient is a Georgian citizen who returned to Georgian from Italy on Sunday. Amiran Gamkrelidze, the Head of the National Center for Disease Control, says the infected person crossed the border not showing any symptoms. His fever came on only later, at which point he addressed the Infections Hospital of Tbilisi.

This is the first case of the coronavirus to have been reported in Georgia in March. The first case was reported on February 26, the second came two days later on February 28, and the last before Thursday was reported on February 29. All three patients are currently in an isolated unit at Tbilisi Infections Hospital. Their condition remains stable, though the fourth patient is said to be in worse health than his fellow sufferers.

On Thursday, it was reported that a further 25 people are being examined for signs of the coronavirus. Georgia’s Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze announced that 25 persons had been in contact with the fourth person diagnosed with Covid-2019. All of them have already been identified and are awaiting their test results.

Tikaradze added that the Ministry of Health is not yet making recommendations on restricting air traffic.

“The Ministry of Health refrains from recommendations to stop flights, as we are very confident that we can control the situation. This is a very important challenge for the healthcare sector, which is doing extremely well," Tikaradze said.

Despite this, the Minister of Finance of Georgia Ivane Machavariani noted that the suspension of flights between Georgia and Italy is being discussed.

"Italy, as a flight direction, carries relatively high risks at this stage, and we should be aware that cancelling flights would be a step towards reducing this risk. However, in reality, threats still remain, with infected citizens able to enter the country from other directions,” he said, further noting that if the country wanted to perfectly prevent itself from the spread of the virus, it would have to ban flights completely, but that this would be “a very expensive price to pay”.

Prime Minister Gakharia this week spoke about the price the country has had to pay already, noting that coronavirus has had just a minor impact on the Georgian economy as yet, “primarily on sectors directly related to tourism”.

Chairman of the Federation of Hotels and Restaurants, Shalva Alaverdashvili was more alarmist in his views, however, noting after a meeting of representatives of the Georgian tourism sector that, “due to the global spread of the coronavirus, up to 90% of hotel reservations in Georgia have been canceled”.

"The tourism industry of Georgia has been one of the first to receive a blow from the coronavirus,” he said. “During the last 6 days, 80-90% of reservations for hotel rooms in March - April have been canceled, which means that the industry is almost on the verge of bankruptcy. Coronavirus is a global problem and no one is to blame, we just have to think about getting out of the situation now so that at least we don't have to fire our employees”.

He noted that Georgia's capital of Tbilisi has received a heavier blow compared to the regions, where the tourist season is either over or has not yet begun.

Besides the issue of having to lay off employees as an impact of coronavirus cancelations, repayment of loans to banks and payment of property tax also present a serious worry for hotel owners, Alaverdashvili noted.

Such worries are not restricted to Georgia alone. Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, said on Wednesday that the spread of the coronavirus will hold 2020 global output gains to their slowest pace since the 2008-2009 financial crisis. The IMF also said it expects 2020 world growth to be lower than last year’s rate of 2.9.

By Nini Dakhundaridze