The Inter-Agency Coordination Council led by Giorgi Gakharia, Prime Minister of Georgia discussed the new package of government support to citizens and businesses, along with the enforcement of restrictions coming into force at 00:00 on November 28, 2020.
Inter-Agency Coordination Council has ruled to restrict the following throughout Georgia from November 28, 2020 through January 31, 2021:
• Mobility of people both in terms of walking and driving as well as a stay in public spaces will be banned from 21:00 to 05:00; Exception will be made on the New Year’s Eve and Orthodox Christmas – respectively December 31, 2020 and January 6, 2021;
• Regular inter-city passenger transportation, including by rail, bus and minibus will be banned. Restriction does not apply to light vehicles (including taxis);
• Restaurants and eateries will be entirely transforming to a remote service delivery. Only take-away, delivery and drive through services will be permitted.
• Gyms and swimming pools will suspend operation;
• Any and all types of conferences, training sessions, cultural and entertainment events will be held only online in a remote manner.
• Sports, arts and culture groups/studios will be suspended.
Also, Council has ruled to introduce the following restrictions in large cities and within their administrative boundaries: Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Gori, Poti, Zugdidi and Telavi, as well as at skiing resorts of Bakuriani, Gudauri, Goderdzi and Mestia:
• Municipal transport will be suspended within the administrative boundaries of Tbilisi, Telavi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Gori, Poti and Zugdidi;
• Retail shops (except for groceries, pet/animal food, pharmacies, veterinarian drug stores, household chemistry and hygiene stores, press kiosks) will only operate remotely through a delivery service;
• Open and closed markets and fairs will not operate. Only fruit and vegetable markets will remain operational;
• Schools, vocational training centres and higher education institutions (except for health and medicine education programs) will be transformed entirely into a distance learning;
• Private and public kindergartens will suspend operation.
Following will also apply to skiing resorts:
• Operation of hotels will only be permitted as quarantine spaces;
• Skiing tracks and lifts will suspend operation.
In addition, it is worth noting that COVID restrictions will be eased nation-wide from December 24, 2020 through January 2, 2021 and namely:
• Only shopping malls, open and closed fairs and markets will be permitted to operate;
• Municipal and inter-city transport will resume operation.
January 3-15, 2021 has been declared by the Council as public holidays and day-offs throughout the country. All the restrictions that were valid from November 28 through December 24 will be resumed. Also, public institutions and private companies will not operate. Only banks and utilities of strategic importance will remain operational.
As for January 16-31, 2021 the following will apply nation-wide:
• Municipal and inter-city transport will resume operation, along with shopping malls, open and closed fairs and markets (except for the week-ends, when they will remain closed).
• Transport, retail shops and markets will suspend operation on weekends.
COVID restrictions do not apply to the following in the entire period:
• All other economic activities, including the following:
- repair works;
- Banking and financial intermediation;
- Groceries, pet/animal food stores, pharmacies, veterinarian drug stores, household chemistry and hygiene stores, printed media kiosks;
- So called delivery and take-away services;
- Repair services of household appliances;
- Fruit and vegetable markets;
- And others.
• Mobility with light vehicles (including taxes) will not be restricted.
