PCR tests to become compulsory for attending conferences, sporting events in Georgia
The Georgian government has amended the health regulations by introducing compulsory PCR testing for attending conferences and sporting events.
On top of that, camp-type meetings are prohibited, regardless of their organizational form and location.
Sports tournaments and training for teenagers under 18 will be allowed only on the basis of preliminary PCR testing of all participants.
The amendments to the resolution were signed by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
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The epidemiological situation in Georgia is deteriorating day by day. Georgia may enter the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the Deputy Minister of Health has announced. The number of infected children in the country is also growing – about 200 children’s beds mobilized in Tbilisi, which were practically empty during the second and third waves of the epidemic, are already overcrowded.
Over the past day, 1,653 cases of coronavirus have been detected in Georgia, 13 patients have died.
The delta strain circulates in 20-30% of cases in Georgia, and this figure will increase even more, director of the National Center for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze said in an interview with Rustavi-2 TV channel.
“As you know, in the UK the British strain has been completely supplanted by the delta strain. This process is also taking place in Europe and, according to forecasts, it will be completely replaced by mid or late August. We will have this tendency approximately in mid-August and in the second half of August. We will not be able to contain it, we only need to follow the preventive measures and recommendations that we are voicing if we do not want to enter the next large-scale fourth wave”, Gamkrelidze said.
According to him, this is not a new lockdown, but a tightening of the existing rules:
“The most important thing is to adhere to these five recommendations – to wear masks everywhere: indoors and outdoors, where more than five people gather; keep a distance; disinfect; avoid large gatherings. The latter is our weakest point. In Georgia, despite numerous warnings, events with the participation of a large number of people are still being held”.
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The vaccination process in Georgia began on March 15 and is progressing slowly. As of July 16, a total of 334,199 people were vaccinated and 126,171 people were fully vaccinated.
The rate of coronavirus infection among fully vaccinated people in Georgia is 0.3%, the Deputy Minister of Health said.
At this time, four vaccines are used in the country – the German-American Pfizer, the British AstraZeneca, the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovak.
