PM: During Adaptation Stage, We Must Detect Cases Fast & Treat them Effectively

"Today, when we talk about the stage of risk management and adaptation, this includes the stage of rapid detection and slowing down the spread of the virus, clinical management, and the swift return of people to a normal life," Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated at today's government session.

He also emphasized that adaptation is the second stage and the government needed time to adjust.

"We are at the stage of adaptation and management. What did the strict restrictions entail for us? During the first stage, our main goal was to stop the spread of the virus over time. We made a decision and a state of emergency was declared in the country; mobility was drastically reduced, which gave us the opportunity to buy some time. During this time, the primary task was first and foremost to prepare the system – to prepare the healthcare system, to prepare the testing system, to retrain the staff, and many other goals that we had to accomplish and that we did accomplish. It was clear, however, that given the interests of the economy, it was impossible to prolong the state of emergency and drastic restrictions. Of course, we, all of us together, began to gradually lift these restrictions. This was an absolutely justified and correct move. Today, the number of infected people means that the healthcare system is fully prepared to manage this process in clinical terms. Today, when we talk about the stage of risk management and adaptation, this includes the stage of rapid detection and slowing the spread [of the virus], clinical management, and the swift return to a normal life.

"We have always said that during the third, a most important, stage of virus management, it will be extremely important to have a system in place that will quickly detect cases of infection, thereby primarily slowing down the spread of the infection. Next, the clinical team must effectively treat and heal our citizens, and then, with the same degree of effectiveness, we must swiftly return them to a normal life," the PM said.

24 September 2020 13:44