Page 9 - GEORptSep20

partners in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic was proposed by the European Commission on April 22 and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council on May 25.
2.4​ ​Georgia locks down tourist locality after discovery of coronavirus hotspot
The Mestia locality in the Caucasus Mountains of western Georgia, one of the country’s biggest draws for tourists, has been placed on lockdown after 16 inhabitants tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past two days.
Tourists presently in Mestia will be placed under quarantine in hotels where they are currently located or will be transported to other quarantine options. Georgia has not opened its borders for international tourists since the onset of the pandemic, therefore all the tourists in Mestia are domestic.
“We understand that there are many tourists in Mestia. None of them will be left without attention,” Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated.
Georgia has demonstrated tight control in the face of the coronavirus crisis, with a very low number of infections compared to South Caucasus neighbours Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as in comparison to Turkey and Iran. All the infected persons in this localised outbreak have been traced to the source. Georgian health minister Ekaterine Tikaradze gave an assurance that the government “has taken urgent steps and we do not expect many COVID-19 patients”.
2.5​ ​Georgian announces third stage of anti-crisis plan
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced the third phase of the government's anti-crisis plan, which “aims to take care of the citizens and provide them with social support”.
The cost of the package drawn up by the government, which is on the cusp of going into general election mode, is estimated at Georgian lari (GEL) 410mn ($135mn).
“We will do everything to enable families, whose incomes have decreased because of the recession, to provide their children with a decent upbringing and education," Gakharia stated.
In order to compensate for reduced incomes or jobs lost experienced by households, the government has decided to extend its programme in terms of providing support for utility bills for the upcoming four months of winter—November, December, January and February.
This is supposed to cost the government GEL200mn.
The Georgian Dream-administration will fully subsidise 200 kilowatts of electricity and 200 cubic metres of natural gas per month per householdduring the specified months.
“The principle will be the same” as in the spring months, Gakharia said. In March, April and May, the government subsidised all the bills under the specified threshold as difficulties sparked by the coronavirus (COVID-19)
9​ GEORGIA Country Report ​September 2020 ​ ​www.intellinews.com