Amiran Gamkrelidze, Director General of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health announced on February 29 that the third coronavirus (COVID-19) case was confirmed in Georgia.
The patient, a young man, Georgian citizen, returned to Georgia from Iran via Azerbaijan on February 28. As he was found to have a temperature on the border, the patient was soon hospitalized to Tbilisi’s Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center.
Gamkrelidze said that before arriving to Georgia from Iran the young man stayed in Azerbaijan for few days. He added that the patient in Iran had contact with the first Georgian citizen who tested positive on the virus.
Georgia confirmed the first case of coronavirus on February 26. A man, about 50, also a Georgian citizen, returned to the country from Iran via Azerbaijan on February 25.
Meanwhile, the second case in the country was confirmed on February 28. A woman, 31, Georgian national, returned to Georgia’s Kutaisi International Airport from Northern Italy.
Health condition of all three patients are satisfactory, said Gamkrelidze.
The Georgian Interior Ministry announced on February 27 that “to prevent the spread of new coronavirus and to offer prompt response to the cases of possible infection, the Ministry will conduct inspection of passengers arriving from the countries defined as high risk zones,” among them China, South Korea, Iran and Italy.
Georgian government created ad hoc interagency group for tackling coronavirus challenge led by Prime Minister Gakharia on February 26. The group decided to restrict land-travel of Iranian citizens to Georgia and Georgian nationals to Iran for two weeks. The Georgian authorities have cut flights to and from Iran since February 23.
Earlier on January 29, Georgian government took the same measure regarding the flights with China.
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