President says church should encourage people to vaccinate

Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili says that the Georgian church, which is the second most trusted institution in the country after the army, should make clear messages and take steps to encourage coronavirus vaccination to ‘prevent a national catastrophe.’ 

 

Coronavirus has killed more than 10,000 individuals in Georgia since April 2020. 

 

Zurabiahsvili says that political parties, media, patriarchate and the public should act together to curb the spread of the virus. 

 

She said that  the sceptical attitude to vaccination of clerics and medical workers discourage people from vaccinating, that is why only more than 900,000 have been fully vaccinated in Georgia since March 2021. 

 

“The Patriarchate’s responsibility is high which still refrains from encouraging the public to receive the vaccine,” Zurabishvili said. 

 

She stated that making vaccination mandatory for risk groups, introduction of covid-passports and not-covering of treatment expenses for unvaccinated individuals will curb the spread of the virus, rather than imposing restrictions which affects the economy. 

 

Zurabishvili called on parties to refrain from large assemblies which boost the threat of spreading the virus.