Tbilisi reopens. What Georgians are now allowed to do and where bans are still in place

Tbilisi, which has been closed since April 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic, opened on May 11. This means that now one can freely leave the city and enter it.

As of May 11, 638 coronavirus infections were confirmed in Georgia. 4896 people are in quarantine mode, 444 people are monitored in hospitals. Of those infected with coronavirus, 317 recovered and 11 died.

In addition, from May 11, other restrictions imposed in connection with the coronavirus epidemic in Georgia were lifted.

What is allowed from May 11:

• All kinds of enterprises have started operations again. Earlier, on May 5, only construction companies resumed work.
  
• All types of retail and wholesale stores with independent entrances from the street have opened. An exception is clothing and footwear stores. For example, bookstores, toys, cosmetics, sports stores are already open. Earlier, on May 5, open agricultural markets were opened.
  
• Car service and car wash resumed work.
  
• Services for the repair of household appliances, vehicles
  
• The Houses of Justice has opened, where all kinds of documents are issued. However, the rules have changed and now visits must be reserved online.

What is still prohibited:

• In Georgia, the cities of Marneuli, Rustavi and Gardabani are still closed.
• Rustavi and Gardabani will open on May 14, Marneuli – on May 18.
  
• Large shopping malls remain closed.
  
•  Closed clothing and shoe stores.
  
• So far, beauty salons and aesthetic centers have not opened (it is expected that they will begin to work on June 8).

• Dental clinics do not work.
  
•  Employees of various offices are still working remotely.
• Closed schools, kindergartens and universities. Their opening is not planned for this semester.
  
• Entertainment centers, cinemas, cafes and restaurants do not work (Open cafes are scheduled to open on June 8. Closed restaurants should open on June 22)
  
• Public transport does not go, including the subway does not work. Only taxi ride. Also do not travel long distance.
  
• You can only move around by car and in compliance with certain rules. The ban on driving more than three people in a car (including children) remains in force – a driver and two passengers in the back seat. It is forbidden to place a passenger in the front seat.
  
• The curfew remains from 21:00 to 06:00.
  
• Hotels remain closed – they cannot receive guests. Domestic tourism opens on June 15 – from this date the hotels will be able to receive guests.
  
• The sky over Georgia is still closed. International flights are scheduled to resume on July 1. From the same date, Georgia is going to start receiving foreign tourists.

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Opinions of the opposition and citizens

The first phase of lifting restrictions came into force in Georgia on April 27. According to the government, the restrictions will be lifted in stages.

Removing restrictions await many in Georgia. It is not clear to the public and the political opposition why curfews are not canceled.

Roman Gotsiridze, one of the leaders of the United National Movement opposition party, says that maintaining the curfew after the economy opens does not seem convincing and logical. He believes that currency exchange points should also be open:

“What prevents opening up to a thousand currency exchange points in the country?” Today 4 thousand people are unemployed at home, and a very large part of our citizens are forced to exchange their money, obtained with great difficulty, at a very unfavorable rate in banks. ”

Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Free Georgia party, believes that public transport in Georgia should resume work:

“Most commercial organizations open up, people will be able to go to work, but we still don’t know why we have curfews. We do not know anything about public transport. However, in Europe there are standards, in case of compliance with which public transport starts to work. For example, if the distance between seated passengers is maintained. ”

However, some citizens fear a hasty lifting of restrictions:

“We do not like to follow the rules. I’m afraid that it would not happen worse here than in Germany, and that the number of infected people will not increase after the restrictions are lifted, ”they write on Facebook.

The first coronavirus infection in Georgia was confirmed on February 26, 2020. A state of emergency was declared in Georgia on March 21, and a general quarantine regime began on March 31.