News

Georgia suspends car transport, face masks must be worn indoors

Also temporarily closed for visiting cemeteries. Measures taken in response to growing coronavirus epidemic in Georgia

Head of Muslims of Georgia accused of ‘sabotage’, believes the reason was interview with opposition channel

"If a secular state has allowed churches to be open during an epidemic, then can mosques be opened during Ramadan too?" asks Mirtag Asadov

Entering Tbilisi has never looked like this before. Photo reportage

Tbilisi has been closed along with Batumi, Kutaisi and Rustavi for 10 days since April 15. Defence forces and Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel have manned the entrances to the city, admitting only local residents and temperature scanning

Village in one region, hospital in another quarantined in Armenia

The commandant’s office has forbidden entry and exit from Norashen village for 3 days – an infected resident was at a funeral and hugged fellow villagers. In the hospital in the city of Maralik, doctors themselves have fallen ill

Georgian churches will not close for Easter, but patriarchate will make some concessions

The government says the law will not be violated

“Do not be afraid of death” – some priests in Abkhazia are urging the public to go to church, others say ‘stay at home’

Father Vissarion, a supporter of unity with the Russian Orthodox Church, calls for Easter to be celebrated in churches. Father Dorofei, a supporter of the creation of an independent Abkhaz church, has closed the Athos monastery to parishioners and broadcasts services online

Coronavirus in the Caucasus. 13-15 April, 2020

Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia - disease statistics, safety measures, other events related to the epidemic. Coronavirus in the Caucasus

Armenian Catholicos requests authorities release ex-president Robert Kocharyan from prison

Later, Garegin II urged people not to politicize his words and not to take what he said out of context, but prior to that, the patriarch received a harsh response from the prime minister’s spokesperson

What can we expect from the new president of Nagorno-Karabakh?

Azerbaijan considers gradually lifting quarantine

According to official figures, 404 people have recovered - almost a third of all infected

Azerbaijani opposition leader cut off from outside world, president again calls opposition ‘enemies of the people’

Ali Karimli’s access to the Internet and phone has been blocked – another round of repressions against the background of the epidemic

“Thousands may get infected in Georgia within 2-3 weeks” - Center for Disease Control

Many in Georgia demand that the government should ban church services as a potential vector for mass virus transmissions

Ramzan Kadyrov vs. Novaya Gazeta

The President of Chechnya was outraged by a publication that criticized the handling of the coronavirus epidemic in the republic

Some Armenian businesses resume operations following restrictions during state of emergency

The commandant expanded the list of businesses that are allowed to work. Thousands of manufacturing workers, builders and engineers have returned to their jobs

Tbilisi and three other cities in Georgia quarantined

Movement within cities will not be limited. The state of emergency will be extended until May 10 due to an increase in cases of coronavirus

Coronavirus has spread to the Georgian clergy

Patriarchate guard infected with COVID-19

Creeping out for a funeral – a new type of crime in Azerbaijan amid coronavirus epidemic

Residents of Azerbaijani are going to all lengths to leave the house to bypass quarantine prohibitions

Georgian gov't tries to convince church to comply with self-isolation restrictions

It is not yet clear whether the church will cancel the crowded Easter celebration due to the coronavirus threat. Previous negotiations with the church have failed