State of Emergency Does Not Apply to Georgian Media

The Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia, stated that the state of emergency will not apply to media outlets. In response to questions from journalists during a special press conference held after an interagency council meeting, where the declaration of a state of emergency was also discussed, Gakharia stated, "The state of emergency, which will be declared nationwide, will not apply to media outlets. The only requirement for media will be to ensure personal safety and take care of health. There will be no other restrictions for the media."

It is noteworthy that today, on March 21, the Prime Minister announced the decision to impose a state of emergency in the country. Upon the Prime Minister's proposal, the President will declare a state of emergency, which will then be confirmed by parliament.

The state of emergency is connected to measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. As a reminder, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Georgia has reached 47. Until now, the Georgian government has imposed several restrictions to combat the spread of the virus, including a ban on the entry of all foreigners into Georgia for a two-week period starting March 18, with all borders closed.