Further enhancing the intensive testing program under the Government"s 2-month restrictions plan, the outcomes of stronger therapeutic elements in COVID hotels, and the enforcement of restrictions were discussed at today"s meeting of the Interagency Coordination Council chaired by Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, at the Administration of the Government.

The intensive testing program carried out 16,646 tests (11,400 antigen and 5,246 PCR) in the past 24 hours, confirming 4,673 new infection cases, the meeting pointed out. The intensive testing program will be enhanced further, with up to 20,000 daily tests planned this week. The Interagency Coordination Council urges citizens with the slightest symptoms of the virus to contact medical institutions where state-funded tests are available, over 230 clinics in all throughout the country.

A list of such clinics by region is available at https://stopcov.ge/ka/klinikebi.

The council discussed the performance of the special working group established on the Prime Minister"s instructions to supervise the process of streamlined COVID vaccination. Work is underway to prepare for the vaccination phase, including both timely import and infrastructure/logistics. The state, with engagement from the Foreign Ministry and Georgian diplomatic missions abroad, is conducting active negotiations with international partners and vaccine manufacturers besides the COVAX platform.

The council also discussed the availability of beds in the hospital sector and steps to secure additional ICU beds and medical equipment, with special emphasis on the role of COVID hotels where, on the Prime Minister"s instructions, therapeutic elements are enhanced and oxygen is supplied. COVID hotels are managed by respective clinics, to better the continuous medical supervision over patients transferred to COVID hotels.

The council discussed the global pandemic, with the number of infection cases exceeding 68 million around the globe. The meeting reiterated the importance of the effective enforcement of the Government-imposed restrictions and observance of all recommendations, including social distancing and facemask use.

The Inter Minister and the Head of the Labor Inspection Department reported to the council on measures to enforce the restrictions under the 2-month plan. In particular, nationwide law-enforcement monitoring in the past 24 hours revealed 705 violations, with the police fining 106 persons for violating isolation and/or quarantine rules, including those breaking the curfew from 9 PM to 5 AM, and 599 persons fined for neglecting the mandatory facemask-use rule, in the past 24 hours.

Through the joint efforts of the Labor Inspection Department, the National Food Agency, and municipal supervision agencies, verbal and written warnings were issued in the past 24 hours to 603 and 423 sites, and 180 were suspended. Also, follow-up inspections were held at 192 sites that had previously the requirements. On December 1-7, follow-up inspections at 3,228 sites reveal that they have switched fully to online services or meet relevant requirements.

Since the first coronavirus infection in the country, there have been 169,649 confirmed cases, with 141,392 recoveries and 1,576 fatalities. Presently, 1,186 persons are under quarantine, 3,759 in COVID hotels, and 6,829 hospitalized under medical supervision.