91 cases of coronavirus reported in Georgia, gov’t adopts new regulations
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Monday, March 30
Over the weekend, the number of infected by the Coronavirus in Georgia reached 91. Officials are reporting that the number will rise in the coming days. As Irakli Chikovani, Prime Minister's Press Speaker, talked about new regulations that the government is working on to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Chikovani stated at the briefing held at the Administration of the Government yesterday that public transport is being restricted in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region. According to him, this is the only addition to the restrictions that are already in place under the state of emergency.
Checkpoints will be set up at the entrances to the region. It means an increased police presence; police units will strictly control vehicular traffic in the region. Police will ensure that transportation takes place with appropriate social distancing - the presence of no more than three people in a single automobile: a driver, and a maximum of two passengers who have to sit in the rear. Also, police will be patrolling throughout the entire region to ensure compliance with this rule.
“Additional police forces will be mobilized to strictly control the implementation of all the restrictions that are in place under the state of emergency, including ones concerning the operation of various facilities, public gatherings, and so forth. This is neither a declaration of Samegrelo as a quarantine zone, nor the imposition of a curfew,” noted Chikovani.
According to him, these measures are aimed at tightening the enforcement of the restrictions under the current state of emergency, which are designed to make sure that every citizen feels safe.
Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia, stressed the importance of taking care of those living in the occupied regions. PM, together with Ekaterine Tikaradze, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, and Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, visited the Rukhi multi-specialty clinic.
The clinic, which will be able to treat 100 patients at a time, has been given 10 medical ventilators, crucial for the treatment of severe cases of the Coronavirus. According to the Minister of Healthcare, the process of equipping the hospital with necessary equipment and hospital beds will be concluded within several days.
A 100-room dormitory has been set up on the territory of the Rukhi hospital, intended for the family members of the patients undergoing treatment there. Parking lots and internal roads have already been set up at the location.
In the future, the clinic will also be able to function as a teaching hospital. There are also spaces for lecture halls, a library, and sports facilities at the location. The Rukhi multi-specialty medical clinic project received 41 million GEL in funding from the state budget. Construction works were carried out by the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure.
