Coronavirus in Georgia: COVID-19 at a bazaar, outbreak in Gardabani region

Georgia is looking at a new outbreak of the coronavirus after more than 15 cases have been reported daily for the past several days. In recent months, this number has been as low as 3-5. 

Three villages in the Gardabani region are the epicenter of the outbreak, but epidemiologists there faced resistance from local residents who refuse to be tested.

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Cases of infection have also been identified among sellers at Lilo market, the largest bazaar and trade market on the outskirts of Tbilisi.

Quarantine in three villages in Gardabani region

37 people tested positive within several days in just three villages in the Gardabani region.

All entry and exit from the village of Karajalar will be closed starting July 24, and a special regime has been introduced in the villages of Karataklis and Akhtaklia – there are police posts at the entrances to the villages and thermal screening is carried out for all those leaving and entering.

Six groups of epidemiologists are working in the villages. The head of the National Center for Disease Control, Amiran Gamkrelidze, said at a press conference in Tbilisi that local residents are creating big problems because they refuse to be tested and claim that they are completely healthy.

Coronavirus infection at the bazaar

Of the 19 new infections reported on June 24 in Georgia, eight are vendors at Lilo, where it is always very crowded.

Several teams of epidemiologists have been working at the bazaar since this morning, testing all of the workers.

It is believed that the virus came to the market from the same epicenter in the Gardabani region: several traders are residents of this area.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, 1,073 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Georgia. 911 of them have recovered, 16 have died.