First case of novel coronavirus confirmed in Georgia
First case of novel coronavirus confirmed in Georgia

The first case of novel Chinese coronavirus has been confirmed in Georgia. A 50-year-old Georgian man, who arrived on February 25 from Iran to Georgia through Azerbaijan, tested positive on coronavirus.

Ekaterine Tikaradze, Georgian Minister of IDPs, Labor, Health and Social Affairs reported at a special briefing held at the Governmental Administration that the man was traveling on business in Iran during one week. He traveled together with a friend, and both persons were directly transferred to the hospital from Red Bridge border checkpoint.

The infected man is currently placed at an isolated bloc of the Tbilisi Hospital of Infectious Diseases. His health is said to be satisfactory.

As Amiran Gamkrelidze, Head of the National Center for Diseases Control and Public Health explained during the briefing, the test result came from Lugar Research Center and for more certainty the test was conducted three times.

Gamkrelidze called on the population for not panicking and claimed that the rate of fatality of coronavirus is only 2% though the virus is highly contagious.