Georgian police write up $700k in state of emergency fines

706 people were fined for violating state of emergency regulations on April 1 and 2, and were charged a total of 2 million 130 thousand lari (about 700 thousand dollars). Violations included refusing to observe a 2-meter distance in shops and pharmacies, a gathering of 3 or more people, and violating curfew.  

As of 10:00 on April 3, there are 148 reported cases of coronavirus in Georgia. 5550 are under quarantine, 281 are under medical observation, and 27 have recovered.

To combat the further spread of coronavirus, the Georgian government declared a state of emergency, in effect from March 31 to April 21, and introduced a curfew.

Gatherings of more than 3 people are prohibited except in stores and pharmacies, where they must maintain a safe distance. All types of public and intercity transport, including the metro, have been shut down. Only taxis and private cars are allowed to continue running, but with certain restrictions. Online commerce is prohibited, excluding grocery and food delivery.

People over the age of 70 are only permitted to leave their homes to go to the nearest grocery store, pharmacy or medical facility.

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Violating the state of emergency restrictions is punishable by a fine of up to 3 thousand lari (about 1 thousand dollars) for individuals, and up to 15 thousand lari (about 5 thousand dollars) for corporate entities.