After the Ministry of Health announced their breakthrough on Monday, all restaurants, cafes, and bars in Tbilisi are required to fully close at 10pm latest. Ekaterine Tikaradze of the Healthcare Bureau stated that “the Corona virus has been discovered to get more active at night, making it increasingly dangerous to be around other people in public places at that time.” 

 

It has also become clear that the virus only spreads in places where people eat food, according to a study done by the Tbilisi State Medical University. This is because it is customary to exchange a kiss with the chef if you enjoy your meal. Given the impressive skills of Georgian chefs, restaurants have been a hotbed for the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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Based on these developments, the National Security Council of Georgia has implemented a ban on the active use of any buildings within the food service industry past 10pm. “We simply cannot risk the heightened spread of the virus due to this new mutation, and must take steps to contain it as best as possible,” said Giorgi Gakharia, the Prime Minister of Georgia. 

 

All other public spaces such as supermarkets, parks, libraries, offices, and banks are not subject to the ban since there is absolutely no way at all that the virus could possibly be transmitted through human contact anywhere other than restaurants, cafes, and bars. 

 

“We are so glad that the government is taking such sensible measures to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread through the population,” says Elene Tsiklauri, a 21 year old who has started day drinking instead of going out at night. She adds that it is worth it to change up her schedule a bit, if it means saving the lives of thousands of people and containing the spread of Corona. 

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