The head of the National Center for Disease Control, Amiran Gamkrelidze, evaluates the increasing statistics of COVID infections in the country over the last two weeks and says that the increase in cases is mainly due to the new strain BA4 and BA5 of Omicron, which is characterized by high transmissibility.

As he told BM.ge, cases of infection are increasing not only in Georgia but also in 40 European countries.

"The number of cases is increasing; the positivity rate is also growing. On average, up to 10,000 tests are conducted per day...

Appointments to medical institutions have increased, but there is no strong impact on the hospital sector yet, but if the infection rate increases, it is expected," he told bm.ge and once again urged citizens to take COVID-19 jabs.

"Our main recommendation is to intensify vaccinations. Come and take it, so that we can meet the autumn with a high immune layer. Nothing else and no one can stop the infection.

As you know, COVID -19 management strategy has changed and large lockdowns are no longer considered. The main focus is to learn to live with COVID-19", said the director of NCDC.

Amiran Gamkrelidze also urges citizens to wear face masks in closed spaces.

"I understand it's summer and it's difficult, but it's better to wear a mask indoors," he said.

Georgian health authorities have registered 2,570 new cases of Covid-19 over the past week, with the figure including three deaths and 1,103 recoveries and marking an increase in confirmed cases of the virus in the country.

The latest update also shows the weekly positivity rate standing at 4.05 percent, the National Centre for Disease Control said on Tuesday.

The figure for weekly COVID-19 cases in previous weeks also featured an upward trend, with the number of total weekly cases rising from 546 to 1,058 within three weeks. A total of 2,550 people have confirmed cases of the virus in the country as of today.