Studies begin at Georgian schools after one-week delay due to flu
Studies at Georgian schools were supposed to begin on 14 January, after the New Year holidays, but were delayed until 21 January. Photo: Netgazeti.
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Georgian schools have reopened to students today after a week delay in studies due to the flu.
Georgian Education Minister Mikheil Batiashvili says that the ministry will be in “constant contact with schools” and will react to all cases of flu or measles.
Batiashvili recommended all school administrations to disinfect classrooms and school buildings.
The swine flu has claimed 18 lives in Georgia this winter.
The Georgian Health Ministry says that there is no threat of an epidemic in the country.
For now, the rate of infection is 253 individuals per 100,000 population.
Despite a lack of an epidemic, the de facto leaderships of Georgia’s two occupied regions, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), have refused to reopen the so-called borders closed on 11 January “to avoid the spread of the swine flu”.
The closure has created significant problems for people living in the occupied regions as they are unable to buy food and other items used on a daily basis.
A woman who delivered via C-section birth a week ago has died allegedly due to the H1N1 flu.
State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia Ketevan Tsikhelashvil ihas criticised the de-facto leadership of Georgia’s occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) for their decision to close the so-called border with the rest of Georgia to avoid the spread of H1N1 flu.
The Georgian National Disease Control Centre has decided to reveal the statistics of flu in Georgia over the past 10 years to dispel speculations that 2018-2019 is an “exceptionally bad year” in terms of flu.
Studies at Georgian public schools and kindergartens have been postponed until January 21 due to the spread of flu. Up to 640 people are being treated in the country's hospitals for the virus, 39 of them are receiving critical care. According to official data 10 have lost their lives to the swine flu.