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Reopened restaurants in South Ossetia to be warned against holding ‘mass events’

As cafes and restaurants reopened today, the authorities in South Ossetia have said they plan to warn establishments against holding ‘mass events’.

Interior Minister Igor Naniyev did not specify the exact limits on the number of people gathering, but he mentioned ‘mass cultural events, weddings, and family celebrations in large numbers’ as examples. 

Naniyev also said the authorities would step up security at hospitals where COVID-19 patients and those under 14-day mandatory quarantine are placed. 

The announcement came after reports that 25 students who returned from Russian military schools fled quarantine. 

For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.

Several Muslim communities in Georgia reopen mosques for worshippers

Muslim communities in Georgia’s Autonomous Republic of Adjara and Samtskhe-Javakheti region celebrated Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, with collective prayers in reopened mosques on Sunday. 

Community leaders insisted they stuck to anti-coronavirus measures, including keeping a safe distance from each other and wearing face masks.

Citing the epidemiological situation, mosques in these southwest Georgian regions stopped encouraging believers to gather for collective prayers on 18 March, something they reiterated on the eve of Ramadan in April. 

According to TV station Mtavari Arkhi, only a small portion of Muslim communities in Georgia’s southern Kvemo Kartli region gathered for the occasion — mostly to bring traditional donations.

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Armenia implements stricter measures

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced yesterday evening that stricter measures will be implemented starting today. 

These include shutting down businesses, restaurants, companies, banks and beauty salons that do not follow government-mandated safety measures for either 2 weeks or a month. 

Other measures include wearing masks in vehicles if there are more than 2 people inside including the driver. 

Wearing masks in all indoor and outdoor public spaces will be mandatory from today, with fines of ֏10,000 ($21) for those violating the rules.

Pashinyan went on to say that based on data collected by the Special Commission on the State of Emergency, approximately 80% of infections are coming from the manufacturing and service sectors.

Georgian government hesitant to restart public transport

On Saturday, the Georgian government extended a ban on public transport (including the Tbilisi metro and intercity bus and railway connections) until 15 July. The move caused resentment from some in Georgia, who had hoped the end of the state of emergency would bring back freedom of movement in the country. 

The government clarified yesterday that 15 July was the latest date and did not rule out rescinding the ban earlier. 

The government plans to re-allow domestic tourism on 15 June and international tourism from July.

Armenian town of Sevan placed under lockdown

Armenia’s Special Commission on the State of Emergency has placed the town of Sevan, located in the Gegharkunik province, under lockdown.

All vehicles and persons will not be allowed to enter or leave Sevan with the exception of those carrying essential supplies, including food, medicine, and fuel. 

The restrictions came into force from 06:00 this morning and will remain in place until midnight on 3 June.

Several economic activities will also be prohibited under the lockdown, including construction, manufacturing, wholesale retail and trade.

Armenia running low on ICU bed capacity

Armenia’s Health Minister Arsen Torosyan announced last night that of the 186 ICU beds available for COVID-19 patients, 154 are currently in use and only 32 beds are available.

According to the Minister, there are 230 patients who are in serious condition and 52 in extremely critical condition.

Summary

Welcome to OC Media’s coronavirus live updates for Monday, 25 May. We will be bringing you the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic from around the Caucasus.

The biggest developments from the weekend: 

Daghestan's authorities have tightened quarantine measures in Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Khasavyurt, Kizilyurt, and Kizlyar during the celebration of Eid al-Fitr (23 May to 26 May) due to the worsening epidemiological situation. Entry and exit from cities, traffic, and trade were restricted. 

The first field hospital started operating in Daghestan in the Gerey-Avlak settlement near the city of Buynaksk. It is designed for 100 patients with COVID-19.

Only one new case of COVID-19 infection has been identified in Georgia over the past 24 hours. As of 25 May, the total number of identified cases stands at 731, with 526 recoveries and 12 deaths.

Read the latest stories:

• Armenia continues to reopen despite steady growth in new cases of COVID-19
• WHO recommendations ‘widely disregarded’ in South Ossetia’s Akhalgori
• Man disappears in Grozny after returning to be with family during pandemic
• Georgian Health Ministry cancels contract for ‘Dutch-made’ tests that were made in China
• Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh ‘vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic’
• Georgia plans corona-safe ‘tourist zones’
• South Ossetia confirms first three coronavirus cases
• Protests in Azerbaijan over job losses and unpaid leave
• Critical shortages‘ of protective equipment reported in Daghestan’s hospitals
• Transgender woman sets herself on fire in Tbilisi
• Voice | The women on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Farmers in Georgia’s Marneuli protest inability to sell crops 
• Police clash with anti-stay-at-home protesters in North Ossetia 
• In pictures | Life under quarantine in Gyumri