PM: At the First Stage, We Effectively Managed to Prevent Rapid Spread of the Virus

"What is taking place today, especially in Adjara, is the result of increased mobility; however, we must all understand that this was predictable and we were preparing for this," Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated at Thursday's session of government.

He noted that there has been a sharp increase in the number of infections in Georgia, but this was to be expected.

"We have always been absolutely open and sincere with our citizens, and we have always said that lifting restrictions would logically lead to an increase in the number of infections. Of course, what is taking place today, especially in Adjara, is the result of increased mobility; however, we must all understand that this was predictable and we were preparing for it. We have consistently stated from the very beginning that the fight against the virus consists of several stages. Of course, our first goal was containment, which meant containing the spread of the virus over time as much as possible. This had a logical explanation, whereby at the time knowledge about the virus in the world, let alone in Georgia, was minimal. Of course, resources were minimal as well, therefore, we needed to buy some time, which we did consistently and effectively. As a result, we saved the lives of many of our citizens. This was recognized internationally and is still recognized to this day. Even today, Georgia remains a green country," the Prime Minister noted.