The cases shot up this week, and NDI reveals that over 50% of Georgians don't even know how to register for vaccination

Corona Updates – Close to 5500 New Cases Daily but No Plans to Force Vaccination

BY TEAM GT

Registration for the second dose of the Pfi zer vaccine opened this week, with vaccines to be offered from August 15. This, alongside Sinovac, Sinopharm and AstraZeneca.

First Deputy Minister of Health Tamar Gabunia says the number of medical teams will be increased across the country, as will the number of spaces where registered persons can get vaccinated.

Minister of Health Ekaterine Tikaradze stated at a briefi ng that, at this stage, they are not considering enforcing vaccination. "At this stage, we are not discussing mandatory vaccination, but there may come a time when vaccination for certain segments, as in other countries, might become part of the general practice. But I am convinced that we can avoid such demands towards our citizens," Tikaradze said, noting that they are largely dependent on the responsibility of the citizens and their willingness to follow the recommendations.

The number of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Georgia is now over 204,000, the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) reported this week.

Around 716,000 vaccinations have been given, with a daily vaccination rate of approximately 26,000.

An NDI Poll released Thursday reported that a majority of citizens (42%) believe that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic is yet to come. Almost half of Georgians (45%) said that the vaccination process is going badly, while 42% of citizens feel that they do not have enough information about the vaccination process and the lack of information is especially high in rural settlements (47%).

More than half of the population says they don’t know how to register on the Georgian government’s online vaccination platform, with 71% of rural residents reporting that they are unaware of how to register," reads the report.

Based on the survey, hesitancy towards the coronavirus vaccine is still high. Only 35% would choose to receive a vaccine; 47% said they would not. Vaccine hesitancy is most prevalent among younger demographics, people living outside Tbilisi, and opposition party supporters. Among those who are hesitant, the main reasons are concerns about the quality of the vaccine (47%) and how those with existing health issues would be affected by the vaccine (20%).

NEW CASES

Georgia reported 2236 coronavirus cases, 3146 recoveries, and 44 deaths on Monday, the offi cial fi gures showed. 23,439 tests were conducted that day, and highlighted that Georgian capital Tbilisi recorded the highest number of 946 Covid-19 cases within 24 hours, followed by the Adjara region with 499 cases, and the Imereti region with 177 cases.

On Wednesday, 5697 new cases of coronavirus were confi rmed in Georgia. The virus that day killed 54.

Georgia reported 5128 coronavirus cases, 3310 recoveries and 49 deaths on Thursday. 49,189 tests were conducted, and the test positivity rate stood at 10.43%.

THE PRESIDENT WITHDRAWS, ADVISES CITIZENS TO GET VACCINATED

The Presidential Administration published a statement mid-week noting that due to the deteriorating epidemiological situation, the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili will not be participating in large-scale events. "Due to the deteriorating epidemiological situation, the President of Georgia will not participate in large-scale events and will cancel all large-scale meetings planned in her Administration, including the planned meeting with Georgian Olympians. "The President is urging everyone to take care of each other, to follow Covid regulations, the recommendations of epidemiologists, and to get vaccinated!" the statement read.

Image source: BM.ge

NEW REGULATIONS

Due to the deteriorating epidemiological situation, the Interagency Coordination Council this week decided that new regulations would enter into force countrywide from August 10.

In open spaces where more than 5 people are gathered, wearing a face mask is mandatory. Violations will incur a fi ne of 20 GEL.

It is mandatory to wear a face mask indoors, on public transport, and in crowded gathering places, at bus stops, and in markets.

Nightclubs, both open and closed, are prohibited, and restaurants cannot work in the period from 00:00-05:00.

Holding weddings, funerals and similar events is forbidden. Facilities will be fi ned for the fi rst time to the amount of 10,000 GEL, and in case of repeated violation, will be shut down.

Amiran Gamkrelidze, head of the NCDC, has recommended keeping the number of people participating in festivals to a minimum. In particular, a maximum of 100 people, who should keep a two-meter distance.

Gamkrelidze noted that it is necessary to use a face mask at such events, and all who attend should have been vaccinated twice, and have had a PCR test done in the prior 72 hours, or a rapid antigen test in the last 24 hours. "Prior to gatherings, people who have not been infected or vaccinated are being tested. We are gradually adopting this culture, and it will be necessary to maintain this behavior during this pandemic, in all crowded spaces, or in places where a group of people gather: seminars, workshops, conferences, and so on," he stated.

The obligation to wear a face mask in the open was lifted on June 22, while wearing face masks indoors stayed in force.

The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, again called on citizens to get vaccinated at the government session. "I would like to once again ask our citizens to all understand well, to show high civic responsibility and self-awareness for our country. As I said yesterday, and I want to repeat, one of the main arguments, the opposite of which simply does not exist, is the following: vaccination protects people from death. A vaccinated person may get infected, but their death is completely ruled out, aside from a few examples in the world, if they have been fully vaccinated," Garibashvili said.

NDI Poll: Georgians Name Jobs, Poverty, Rising Prices/Infl ation as Top Issues

BY ANA DUMBADZE

Based on the results of a survey published on August 12 by the National Democratic Institute and CRRC-Georgia, Georgians remain concerned about the state of the economy and healthcare.

The survey shows that following months of political crisis and the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the public is pessimistic about the direction of their country and the performance of institutions. Looking forward, Georgians expect their elected representatives to prioritize policies that address their pressing economic and social concerns.

“More than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, the state of the country’s economy and the impact of Covid-19 remain at the forefront of citizens’ concerns. Georgians identify jobs, poverty, and rising prices/infl ation – all worsened by the pandemic – as the top issues facing them and their families. A majority of citizens (68%) say that they can afford fewer goods, products and services than before the pandemic. Moreover, a quarter of the population reports either having lost their job completely (8%) or experiencing salary/income reduction (13%) since the start of the pandemic; a plurality said they remain unemployed.

“Looking ahead, a plurality of citizens (42%) believe that the worst of the Covid19 pandemic is yet to come. Almost half of Georgians (45%) said that the vaccination process is going badly. Critically, 42% of citizens also feel that they do not have enough information about the vaccination process, with the lack of information especially high in rural settlements (47%).

More than half of the population says they don’t know how to register on the Georgian government’s online vaccination platform, with 71% of rural residents reporting that they are unaware of how to register,” reads the report.

Based on the survey, hesitancy towards the coronavirus vaccine is still high. Only 35% would choose to receive a vaccine; 47% said they would not. Vaccine hesitancy is most prevalent among younger demographics, people living outside Tbilisi, and opposition party supporters. Among those who are hesitant, the main reasons are concerns about the quality of the vaccine (47%) and how those with existing health issues would be affected by the vaccine (20%).

“Ensuring a smooth rollout of the vaccine and making use of trusted medical professionals to provide the public with accurate information will be critical to the government’s effort to safeguard public health. The lack of information can slow down vaccine distribution and prevent citizens from making informed decisions about their health. It is incumbent upon all political leaders, but particularly those in power, to rebuild the public’s trust in the country’s governance. In order to do so, it is important to demonstrate that the needs and priorities of the public, such as the economy and healthcare, are being met. Public priorities are consistent across political affi liation, signaling opportunities for political parties to work together,” said Alan Gillam, NDI Georgia Country Director.

“The twin challenges of the political crisis and Covid-19 pandemic have contributed to the erosion of trust in the country’s direction and political leaders. Only a quarter of the public believes that Georgia is going in the right direction (23%), while only a third believe it is a democracy (35%). These represent signifi cant decreases from one year ago in August 2020, where a plurality of Georgians held these beliefs (39% and 48%, respectively). A similar trend is visible regarding the performance of the government: only a third of Georgians (36%) positively evaluate the current government’s performance, a decrease from 50% in December 2020.

“In the year ahead, the public wants to see the Georgian Parliament focused on the economy, healthcare, and education. Unfortunately, Georgians remain skeptical of the parliament’s willingness to actually address their concerns. More than half of the population (55%) does not believe parliament is passing legislation on issues that matter to them, while 54% do not believe an MP will take action if citizens tell them about problems in their district. Only a quarter believes that parliament regularly communicates with the public,” reads the information.

NDI says the results refl ect data collected between July 13-25, through telephone interviews with a nationwide representative sample of Georgia’s adult population, excluding occupied territories, that included 2,016 completed interviews. The average margin of error is +/- 1.3%. Respondents were selected using the random-digit-dial method.

Image source: Report.ge