Woman transferred from Russian-occupied Abkhazia region tests positive for coronavirus
The 50-year-old woman had travelled in Russia before testing positive. Photo: Health Ministry press office.
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A 50-year-old woman, who was transferred from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region into Tbilisi-controlled territory late on March 29, has tested positive for COVID-19.
The woman had travelled to Moscow, Russia, then came to Sochi and then to Saberio, in the Gali district of Abkhazia, from where she was transported to Zugdidi, to Tbilisi-controlled territory by ambulance.
A local official in Zugdidi said that the woman was with another individual who was not allowed onto Tbilisi-controlled territory by the Russian troops.
The health condition of the woman is not critical.
The de facto authorities of Abkhazia have already suspended movement between Gali and Ochamchire districts, several hours after the woman tested positive for the virus.
The Abkhazia region announced the ‘state of emergency’ on March 28 to prevent the spread of the virus.
The de facto authorities say that it is the first confirmed case of the virus in the region.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced a nationwide curfew starting tomorrow at 8 a.m, ‘to effectively contain the spread of coronavirus in Georgia’. Speaking at a special briefing earlier today, Gakharia said that the government has made ‘fast, brave and effective’ decisions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, that is why the country has only had 100 confirmed cases of the virus since February 2020, including 18 recovered.
"These are very difficult times not only for the EU, but for our partner countries as well. We are doing all we can to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on human lives and livelihoods. We are responding both to the immediate needs of the health systems, as well as longer term needs to the most vulnerable groups in society and small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of the economies in the six countries,” Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said.
Georgian Agriculture Ministry will spend 16 million GEL ($4.86 mln/€4.42 mln) to make sugar, oil and pasta stocks in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak.The ministry will buy 5,000 tonnes of sugar, 500 tonnes of pasta and 1.5 tonnes of sunflower oil.
Tougher restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 go into force today, including a nationwide curfew that will be in effect from 21:00 – 06:00. Public transport has also been suspended, and the public cannot gather in groups of more than three people. The measures will be in place until at least April 21. Georgia has had 110 confirmed cases of the virus starting from February 26, 2020.
The co-chairs of Geneva International Discussions (GIDs) from the European Union, United Nations and OSCE, Toivo Klaar, Cihan Sultanoglu and Rudolf Michalka remain “fully engaged to help address the challenges” created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Seven people have been transferred from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region of Georgia onto Tbilisi-controlled territory after they came into contact with a woman who was also recently transferred from Abkhazia to Zugdidi in western Georgia and tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Georgian Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili says that the two Russian-occupied regions of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali face the threat of an outbreak of COVID-19 as people have moved freely between the regions and Russia over the past several weeks.
Two more people have tested positive for COVID-19 increasing the number of total confirmed cases to 117. Meanwhile, the number of recovered individuals has increased to 23, which means that there are a total of 92 individuals inside the country who are still infected with the virus.
Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region confirmed its first case of the coronavirus yesterday. The de facto authorities of the region say that the infected individual is a 57-year-old man from Gagra who travelled to Russia. A 50-year-old woman from the region, who also travelled to Russia, is undergoing treatment on Tbilisi-controlled territory, after testing positive for the virus on March 30.
A 15-year-old child has died in Russian-occupied Abkhazia after being admitted to the hospital on April 7 in critical condition. Abkhaz news agency Apsnypress reports that the child had been tested for coronavirus and medics are waiting for the test result.
Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region reported the second case of the coronavirus earlier today.
The Russia-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia has reported a third case of coronavirus yesterday. One man, born in 1925, who is from the town of Gagra, is in self-isolation now and is under medical supervision.
Transparency International Georgia has sent 1,080 units of virus protection equipment including hand sanitisers, medical masks, gloves, coats, suits, remote thermometers to several medical facilities in Gali in Georgia's Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia.