The Checkpoints conducted an exclusive interview with the Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Jihad Azour on Sunday.
The anchor and the co-author of the program Elene Kvanchilashvili asked to assess the Georgian government’s decision to lockdown on the early stage of the pandemic and changing its position for the second wave of COVID-19 implementing only targeted restrictions on the background of opening schools and universities.
Jihad Azour did not answer the question directly; however, stated that research is showing that countries that have introduced early on measures to contain spreading by using social distancing, tracing, and testing were able to open faster and to limit the impact of the shock on the economy.
“Of course, this is a global disease and global pandemic and it requires a global response – Azour told The Checkpoints - And the only way to do it now is to use those types of measures before having a vaccine it’s still the best way to protect lives which is the priority of any government or should be the priority is by using those measures”.
According to the Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the IMF, this in itself has an impact on the economy, and the economies of the world have suffered because of that.
“Government and countries have developed - and that’s also where the technology is playing an important role - new approaches and new methodologies while protecting lives affecting to a lesser extent economic activities and the livelihoods of people” – Azour said.
“This crisis is like crisis no other. Nobody was prepared for it” – he added.
