Health minister: Georgia faces worse coronavirus situation than expected

Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze says that Georgia currently has a ‘worse epidemiological situation’ than the country’s health officials had expected.

She said that the medical personnel and the government are dependent on the responsibility of each citizen. "Otherwise the situation may lead to a collapse of the healthcare sector," Tikaradze said. 

The minister welcomed that the wearing of facemasks outdoors where at least five people have gathered has become mandatory and holding social events such as weddings, funeral feasts and birthdays are prohibited starting today in Georgia.

However, she said that ‘the enforcement of the restrictions is crucial to curb the spread of the virus by at least 20%.’ 

She stated that hospital beds for Covid-19 patients are limited in the country and soon, hospitals may not be able to receive critical patients. 

"We have already ensured three times more beds for Covid-19 patients per 100,000 in the country than in European states (about 7,000 beds)," Tikaradze said. 

She said that in the future coronavirus vaccination may become mandatory for certain groups, Agenda.ge reported.