Page 6 - GEORptApr20

According to Otar Nadaraia, chief economist of TBC Bank, taking into account current developments, the Georgian economy was expected to grow by 2% this year.​ According to him, the situation will improve in the fourth quarter in terms of the baseline scenario and in 2021 economic growth might reach 6.5%.
The Georgian economy expanded by 5.2% in 2019, accelerating from the 4.8% seen in each of the previous two years. The growth rate eased to 3.8% y/y in December, according to the statistics office’s rapid estimate.
2.0​ ​Politics
2.1​ ​Georgia brings in overnight curfew to help contain
COVID-19 outbreak
Georgia has imposed an overnight curfew, closed its public transport systems, including the Tbilisi metro, and banned gatherings of more than three people, effective March 31, in stepping up its efforts at battling the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced.
During daytime hours, it is now only permitted to travel in light vehicles (including taxis), and only if there are no more than three persons in the vehicle, with the essential condition that the non-driving passengers are in the rear seat.
"We have decided to significantly tighten measures within the framework of the state of emergency. Effectively—and I would like to emphasize this—effectively, we are declaring a universal quarantine, which will begin tomorrow, at 08:00 in the morning,” Gakharia stated.
According to his statement, the movement of pedestrians and municipal transport vehicles would be prohibited from 21:00 till 06:00.
The PM also said officials were aware of three people infected with COVID-19 who had infections that could not be linked to a source.
All citizens have been told to carry ID when venturing out. People aged over 70 are only allowed to leave their home to go to the nearest grocery or pharmacy.
Gakharia added that special checkpoints would be set up in Tbilisi and six of the country’s other substantially sized cities to screen people and enforce the rules.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Georgia stands at 100 to date, with no related deaths. Some 4,978 people are under quarantine and 266 are under hospital supervision. Of those infected, 18 patients have recovered.
6​ GEORGIA Country Report ​April 2020 ​ ​www.intellinews.com