The meeting of the Coordinating Council was presided over by PM Irakli Gharibashvili, August 8, 2021. (1tv.ge)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Against the backdrop of a skyrocketing number of new cases of Covid-19 and a steady increase in the number of deaths, authorities in Georgia decided Monday to bring back stricter regulations, but stopped short of using another round of lockdown or curfews to battle the virus.

The Interagency Coordinating Council met on Monday and decided to reinstate several regulations. In particular, from Tuesday onwards, wearing a medical facemask will be mandatory in locations with crowding like bus stops, markets, and other places where more than 5 people gather, said Giorgi Ghibradze, Chief of Operations at the Interagency Council.

It is still forbidden to operate nightclubs, as well as holding social events such as weddings, kelekhi (funeral feast) and anniversaries. Although these were already banned, the government did not enforce the ban strictly, this, however, is likely to change from today.

“It is forbidden to operate night clubs in both open and closed spaces. Enforcement of this regulation will be even more strictly controlled. The operation of [cafes and restaurants] is limited to the period from 00:00 to 05:00, the enforcement of which will be further tightened by the state.

“In addition, as it is known, a government decree prohibits holding social events such as weddings, kelekhi, anniversaries and more. For hosting such an event, the owner of a facility will be fined 10,000 GEL for the first time, and in case of repetition, the relevant facility will be closed,” said Giorgi Ghibradze.

The Coordinating Council also decided to allow entry to the country for foreign nationals who have recovered from Covid-19 and have been given one dose of vaccine. Upon entry to Georgia, this category of people will be equated to those who are fully vaccinated.