Gov't Announces Additional Restrictions to Prevent Coronavirus Spread

Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia held a special briefing today after the meeting of the Inter-Agency Coordination Council against coronavirus, announcing additional restrictions imposed by the government to face the spread of the epidemic in the country. 

The PM explained that the country is moving from a stage of preventing the pandemic to a stage of dealing with the spread of the infection, which means that the number of infected people will increase, adding that at present the Georgian health system is in good shape to adequately respond to challenges.

“It is of fundamental importance that we are moving to a stage of the spread of the pandemic. This transition is very important. We have to be ready. This primarily applies to the healthcare system. The readiness of the healthcare system means that it must be fully prepared to serve an increasing number of patients. The relevant instructions have been issued today. The healthcare system is in very good shape today to face challenges and to respond to them adequately,” he noted.

The additional restrictions and preventive measures imposed by the state include the following: 

Minibuses will stop operating in Tbilisi from March 18

Movement of minibuses will be banned in Tbilisi from March 18, as they are one of the main sources of the spread of the virus. 

"A decision was made within the framework of the Council and the movement of minibuses will be banned from tomorrow. This is one of the most significant sources of the spread of the virus. Municipal transport and metro will continue operating in the city, however, they will be disinfected daily so we can better manage the risks in this case," PM said.

The functioning of sports and spa centers will be banned

“The functioning of sports centers and various spa centers will be completely banned.

"Importantly, the quality of enforcement of restriction decisions will further increase. We instructed the relevant agencies today to oversee how government decisions are enforced," the Head of Government said. 

Socially vulnerable people and pensioners will be assisted by social groups

PM said that the government’s recommendation for elderly people is to remain in self-isolation.

He noted that the Ministry of Economy, the Georgian Post and the Ministry of Health have been assigned to devise a joint mechanism that will assist pensioners over the age of 70 as well as socially vulnerable persons during the self-isolation period. 

“It is vital that we take care of our older persons, especially those over the age of 70. The government’s recommendation for elderly people is to remain in self-isolation. To address this task as decently as possible, several government facilities will assist older persons on a daily basis. We must all work together to tackle this global pandemic. I would like to stress that there is no reason to panic; we acted efficiently from the very start and will continue to do so”, he said.

By Ana Dumbadze 

Related Story: Mini-buses to Stop Operating in Tbilisi from March 18