Restaurant operations in Tbilisi, Imereti region to change following new restrictions in Georgia due to pandemic

Starting October 16, restaurants and all entertainment venues in Tbilisi and the Imereti region of Western Georgia will close at 22:00 following a dramatic uptick in the number of  daily coronavirus cases. 

“There is no more radical way to stop the epidemic in the world other than strict restrictions. The main strategy is point constraints. Therefore, we decided that the work of restaurants and all entertainment establishments in Tbilisi and Imereti will be limited – they will close at 22:00.  This will allow us to slow down the spread of the virus,” Gakharia said.

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Gakharia said that at the same time, the existing restrictions on movement in the Adjara region will be lifted. Public and intercity transport in the region will start working on October 19. According to Gakharia, the reason for this was the stabilization of the epidemiological situation.

“Restrictions on the educational process, as well as restrictions on the operation of restaurants and entertainment establishments, will remain in Adjara,” the prime minister said.

An earlier decision to resume classes in university classrooms from October 19 remains in force, and new flights will be added to the existing ones starting at the end of October.

“From November, air traffic will be restored gradually and carefully.  The first step will be to add flights to existing routes from the end of October – in the direction of Paris and Munich. This will give our citizens more mobility and also give the economy more oxygen. In addition, it will help the arrival of observers (for the parliamentary elections),” Gakharia said.

According to the Prime Minister, today there are no reasons to postpone the elections.  

“This is the official position.  We are managing this process, despite the fact that the number of infected is growing,” he said.

On October 15, 919 cases of coronavirus infection were registered in Georgia, of which 366 were in Tbilisi.  

According to official statistics, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus is 14,440, of which 7,367 have recovered, 113 have died, 5,721 are in quarantine and 836 are hospitalized.