The village of Khidiskuri in Khashuri Municipality is being placed under strict quarantine. The decision was made during the session of the Interagency Coordination Council on the coronavirus that was held today under the leadership of the prime minister. In addition to the restrictions imposed under the state of emergency, it is now forbidden to enter or leave the village. The police force of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will ensure the implementation of this regime on the ground. Citizens will only be able to leave their homes to buy food products or medicine, or to receive medical services. Local residents will be able to carry out agricultural works while observing the recommendations issued by the Ministry of Healthcare. As in the other cases, only the Public Broadcaster of Georgia will be allowed to operate in the village of Khidiskuri under conditions of quarantine.

According to the recommendation of epidemiologists and medical professionals, effective measures aimed at preventing the large-scale spread of the virus must be taken in order for the country to return to a normal mode of life as soon as possible. Otherwise, it might become necessary to extend the prohibitions for several months, which will further aggravate the already complicated economic situation in the country.

The situation in the clinics and the level of their workload, as well as the number of unoccupied beds and the degree of readiness of the medical personnel was also discussed during the session of the Interagency Council. During the next session, the Ministry of Healthcare will present a concrete plan on how to increase the quality of service on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus with regard to the family doctor service provided by 112, as well as in the so-called fever clinics and hospitals, with the aim of identifying new cases of the coronavirus and ensuring the effectiveness of the management system.

The effectiveness and continuity of the training of medical personnel will be actively controlled. Furthermore, the rigorous monitoring of clinics will continue under the leadership of Dimitri Khundadze, chairman of the Healthcare and Social Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia. The process will take place with the involvement of majoritarian Parliament deputies and representatives of local authorities, and will be fully coordinated by the Ministry of Healthcare and the Operational Headquarters in order to ensure that the response to the results of monitoring is as fast and effective as possible. This will also be systematically verified.

The situation in terms of food and medical supplies in the country was also discussed at the session of the Coordination Council. Agriculture and Environmental Protection Minister Levan Davitashvili noted that there are no problems with food supplies in the country, which are being constantly replenished without hindrance. In addition, imports have been diversified and the importation of food products will continue without any problems.

It was noted that control measures (including the thermal screening of the local population) will continue in the regions of Georgia, including in the municipalities that were placed under strict quarantine. The Council may take additional measures depending on the development of the epidemiological situation.

The process of inspecting the observance of the restrictions imposed under the state of emergency and the implementation of the recommendations issued by the Ministry of Healthcare in the enterprises that continue to operate (or have submitted the relevant application to the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development) was discussed during the video conference. Inspections are ongoing across the country and all companies meeting the relevant standards are being granted the right to continue to operate.

The control of labor safety regulations is continuing in agrarian markets throughout Georgia as well. Decisions concerning their operation are being made on the basis of the results of individual monitoring.

Furthermore, the process of returning Georgian citizens from foreign countries to their homeland is also ongoing. Two new flights have been scheduled for this purpose - from Madrid to Tbilisi on 30 April and from Prague to Tbilisi on 2 May. The special flights from various countries take place in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization.

The epidemiological situation in the country was also discussed during the session. Session participants listened to the forecasts of epidemiologists, who expect an increase in the number of cases of infection. For this reason, the Coordination Council is once again calling on citizens to strictly observe the established regulations and to leave their homes only in case of extreme necessity.