Entry to 4 Major Cities Forbidden for 10 Days, State of Emergency to be Extended

Given the increasing number of coronavirus infection in the country, the Georgian government has decided to prohibit all types of movement, entry and exit to four major Georgian cities - Tbilisi, Rustavi, Batumi and Kutaisi, starting tomorrow, April 15. 

Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia made the corresponding statement at a briefing today.

"The government has decided to ban citizens from entering or leaving big cities - Tbilisi, Rustavi, Batumi and Kutaisi for 10 days, from at 9 pm tomorrow," the head of the government said.

He said that it happened for the first time that 30 people were infected in a day. 500 people are being examined. 

The Prime Minister noted that the country has moved to a stage of full-scale internal transmission.

"Tomorrow, the government will appeal to the President of Georgia to extend the State of Emergency until May 10," the PM added. 

"We appeal to the President to address the Parliament in the coming days on the extension of the state of emergency until May 10. These are the necessary steps that must be taken immediately to move to a new stage of slowing down the speed and geographical expansion of the virus," he noted.

Initially, the State of Emergency was declared throughout Georgia until April 21, however, given the current developments, the government has decided to extend the term of the emergency regime. 

By Ana Dumbadze