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NEWS
GEORGIA TODAY
DECEMBER 3 - 9, 2021
Get Ahead of the New Year Rush: Corona Updates: ‘Green Passports’ Introduced, Check Out the USAID-Georgia New Omicron Strain Threatens the World Beneficiary Entrepreneur Product Continued from page 1 In case of violation of the rule, the Exhibition This Weekend sanction is 10,000 GEL for a legal entity and 2000 GEL for an individual entrepreneur. In case of recurrence of the offense, the facility will be sealed. Also from December 1, restaurants had their hourly restrictions lifted, and the number of spectators allowed in cinemas, theaters, and operas was increased from 30 to 50%.
THE STATISTICS
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USAID-Georgia New Year Exhibition-Sale of beneficiary entrepreneurs' products is to be held on December 5 at Dedaena Park, Tbilisi. More than 90 young and professional entrepreneurs from Tbilisi, as well as from different regions of the country, will take part. The exhibition is open to all those who are interested in Georgian products and support business development. The exhibition will be visited by US Ambassador Kelly Degnan and USAID Georgia Mission Director Peter Wiebler, alongside representatives of USAID programs and guests from various international and local organizations. At the exhibition, visitors will be able to meet entrepreneurs, check out their products, and shop for gifts ahead of the New Year holidays. Entertainers, face painters and actors will be there to keep both younger and older guests entertained. The exhibition is being organized by the USAID Georgia programs: USAID YES - Georgia, USAID Economic Security, and USAID Agriculture Programs. Entrepreneurs participating in the event will offer guests handmade accessories,
jewelry, leather and felt products, agricultural products (honey, churchkhela, dried fruit, dairy products, etc.), Georgian wine, paintings, decorations, clothes, shoes, toys, herbs, bags, self-care, and cosmetics. The exhibition, which will start at 14:00 and last until 20:00, will be held in full compliance with the Covid-19 regulations. The exhibition aims to promote the professional growth of entrepreneurs, deepen business relations, and introduce businesses and their products to the public. In addition, the event aims to raise public awareness about USAID-Georgia's mission and activities in Georgia. And be sure not to miss out on your chance to discover more about USAIDGeorgia’s programs at the event: USAID YES-Georgia (a support program for youth and women entrepreneurs), its Economic Security Program, and its Agriculture Program.
Georgia reported 5050 coronavirus cases, 4214 recoveries, and 80 deaths on Tuesday. Tbilisi recorded the highest number of 1821 Covid-19 cases, followed by the Imereti region with 865 cases, and the Kakheti region with 317 cases. Georgia reported 4,459 coronavirus cases, 3957 recoveries, and 65 deaths on Wednesday. Tbilisi recorded 1740 of those cases, followed by Imereti with 843 cases, and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti with 358 cases. Georgia reported 3731 coronavirus cases, 4295 recoveries, and 72 deaths on Thursday. The daily test-positivity rate stands at 7.37%. Georgia’s total case tally reached 853,833, among which 796,453 people recovered and 12,191 died. As of Thursday, 2,197,83 people had received a coronavirus vaccine.
OMICRON Health officials around the world are sounding the alarm on a “heavily mutated” coronavirus variant which emerged in South Africa. The World Health Organization announced it had designated the new strain a “variant of concern” and named it Omicron after the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet. “Omicron’s emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done with Covid-19, it is not done with us,” said the WHO’s Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. WHO says there’s no evidence to suggest that symptoms linked to Omicron are different from those caused by the
other variants, however, like all coronavirus variants, Omicron may be capable of causing severe illness or death, particularly among vulnerable populations. In connection with the spread of the new strain of coronavirus, the Georgian government set new travel rules for certain countries. Any person, regardless of their citizenship, who has a travel history to the following countries in the last 14 days will be subject to 14-day isolation in the quarantine area when entering Georgia: • South Africa • Botswana • Zimbabwe • Namibia • Lesotho • Eswatini (Swaziland) • Mozambique • Malawi After completing the 14-day quarantine, individuals will undergo PCR testing. In the case of Georgian citizens, quarantine hotel and PCR-test costs are covered by the state, while in the case of foreign citizens – by themselves.
RESTRICTIONS IN OTHER COUNTRIES Following the WHO announcement, the US began restricting travel from South
Africa and several other countries Monday. So far, more than 30 countries around the world, among them Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, United Kingdom, and the US, have instituted new travel restrictions for international visitors in response to Omicron. Most restrictions target southern Africa. Three countries, Japan, Israel and Morocco, have issued complete international travel bans since Friday. The epidemiological situation in The Netherlands and other European countries has been difficult, with Omicron only adding to the unrest. It has led to the Dutch government deciding that hospitality facilities and cultural venues - cafes, museums or cinemas - will be closed from 5PM for the next three weeks. Restrictions have also been tightened in the UK: wearing face masks in public transport and shops became mandatory to prevent the spread of the new strain, and those arriving in the country have to undergo PCR tests. The UK's health minister noted that the regulations serve to maintain the progress the country has made in fighting the virus, and to ensure that citizens, along with their families, celebrate Christmas peacefully.
The Potential in Georgian and Cypriot Naval Cooperation
Head of the Georgian Maritime Transport Agency Tamar Ioseliani held a meeting with Deputy Minister of Shipping of Cyprus Vassilios Demetriades. Source: Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia
BY MICHAEL GODWIN
G
eorgia recognizes that it can learn from Cyprus, which walked the same road towards its accession to the EU… One might think that Cyprus is a small country, not one that might decide the fate of the EU. But for Georgia, it is very symbolic because Cyprus has already walked the path we are on today. Cyprus achieved its result
in 2004 and knows that path. – said President Salome Zurabishvili. When viewing the broader intergovernmental relationship terrain of Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea nations, Georgia and Cyprus do not often make large waves. In the shadow of larger regional players such as Turkey and Russia, Cyprus maintains a low profile. However, the connection between both Georgia and Cyprus made headlines when the former made an overt escalation of diplomatic ties. Georgian President Salome Zurabish-
vili paid her first official visit to the island nation of Cyprus in early November. At the same time, the Georgian Maritime Transport Agency also engaged their Cypriot counterparts in a new discussion on partnerships. This culminated in a new Joint Maritime Committee agreement. The agreement is angled at expanding the education and training of their maritime assets, sharing techniques and procedures in the fields of research, and innovative new methods of interlinking maritime industries to create maritime clusters. These maritime clusters consist of various entities, both private and public, that operate in close cohesion to develop the maritime and naval fields of a nation. Cyprus, since its independence in 1960, has rapidly grown its standardization measures as well as expansion of its ports. In addition, Cyprus has commissioned multiple naval patrol vessels from other EU member states, thus expanding its defensive naval capabilities. This EU membership is something the Georgian President made significant note of during her visit, stating that Cyprus is not far ahead of the position that Georgia finds itself in today; the pursuit of EU member ascension. Since joining the EU in 2004, Cyprus has adopted many of the now-standard European economic and political customs. While these trade, technology, and general maritime partnerships are the first ripples in a wave of new development, the national security implications run under this current of cohesion. Cyprus and Georgia are of surprising similarity in terms of technology, research
and development, and operational capabilities and restraints. From the outset, Cyprus was forced to rapidly develop its security infrastructure. Internal strife and invasion plagued the country during the 1960s and 1970s. In the Turkish invasion of 1974, the majority of the naval vessels of the Cypriot Navy were sunk in an almost mirror image to the Georgian Navy in the 2008 Russian invasion. In another kindred image between these two nations and their naval component, Cyprus also has no large capital or significant warships. Despite their location as a key strategic island in the Eastern Mediterranean, they have yet to expand from coastal patrol and littoral tactical vessels. Nonetheless, they have repeatedly purchased quality ships from EU partners such as Italy, Spain, and France. The new collaboration and sharing of relevant maritime data stands to allow both nations to operate with unusual effectiveness despite their small size. Manufacturing procedures, new technologies, and shared experience as a naval underdog in combat situations all make these two nations ripe for increased partnership. This partnership needs to bring the two nations and their fledgling naval forces into the spotlight of European and American support programs. With so many capable warships being retired, Georgia and Cyprus make excellent candidates as recipients for these vessels. The Cypriot navy, similar to the Georgian, is too small to be of effective use for NATO or other operations. Being composed of Offshore Patrol
Vessels (OPV), Fast Patrol Boats (FPB), and Fast Attack Crafts (FAC), their combat efficacy is somewhat limited. Faced with larger threats, these craft are incapable of properly defending the coast. As such, the relationship between these two nations must evolve into a combined effort to acquire modern warships and achieve naval relevance. The requirement for these nations to arm themselves accordingly will not go unheeded, as European and American partners continue their investment in these nations. The practicality of keeping these two in the NATO fold are key to ensuring the security of Central Asia as well as potentially stymieing Russian advancement. Georgia and Cyprus, paired and in similar predicaments, are the sabre’s edge in maritime trade, security, and defense. Cypriot and European navy vessels maneuver in formation during an exercise in 2020. Source: Cyprus Ministry of Defense
