Georgia’s health minister claims no cause for panic over plague

Georgia’s Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze has claimed there is no reason for public panic over the spread of plague, adding that no additional measures are currently considered necessary.

Sarjveladze said the National Center for Disease Control and the Health Ministry were closely monitoring the situation and receiving information through international health cooperation platforms, including the World Health Organization.

“Based on the data, I can say there is no reason for panic or unnecessary alarm,” Sarjveladze said.

He noted the available information concned areas located far from Georgia and that, taking into account travel patterns and other relevant factors, there was currently no recommendation for additional measures.

“There is absolutely no need to take any measures at this stage, and there are no recommendations to do so,” the minister said.

Sarjveladze added that the Georgian authorities were prepared to take immediate action if the situation changed and measures were needed to protect the population from potential risks.