Gov’t urges citizens to avoid crowded gatherings amid holidays

The Inter-Agency Coordination Council, led by the Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, analyzed the impacts of COVID-related restrictions on Wednesday.

The council members discussed the importance of avoiding mobility increase amid upcoming New Year celebrations and the intensive testing program.

The meeting attendees noted that almost 20 000 rapid tests are administered a day to ensure timely detection of infection as well as isolation of contracted individuals.

The Council members strictly recommend citizens to stay away from organizing or participating in crowded gatherings for the New Year’s Eve and Christmas parties. Instead, close family circle parties are the best option for the upcoming holidays.

“Current indicators give us grounds for cautious optimism as the positive trend has reached 19%. Nevertheless, the relative stability of the situation and the declining trend of Covid-19 positive cases should not let us relaxed,” the Council stressed.

During the meeting, the Head of the Labor Inspection Department, Peka Peradze, informed the Georgian PM on covid-related violations.

“712 cases of violations have been detected within the last 24 hours. Police have penalized 88 individuals for breaching the rules of isolation and/or quarantine. 624 individuals were fined for breaching a face mask rule,” Peradze noted.

In a bid to curb the virus spread, the Georgian Government imposed a two-month partial lockdown on November 28.