❗️😷 Georgia may cancel the mask regime in closed spaces.
This was announced by the head of the Center for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze. According to him, the authorities are discussing that in Georgia the wearing of masks should continue to be mandatory only for certain groups, for example, from a certain age or for people with chronic diseases that are at risk. A decision is expected to be made soon.
🦠 Over the past day, 153 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the country and no one has died from this disease.
🧪 I will tell NCDC (I know that they read the channel there) that it is possible to cancel tests and vaccines for incoming foreign citizens.

🇬🇪💧 According to the Prime Minister of Georgia, "pleasant information" about "Borjomi" will become known in the near future.
“I will tell you one thing, our main motivation is to protect the national interests of our country as much as possible. We are actively working now and will very soon inform our citizens of good news on this issue. I do not want to talk about the details today, but I assure you that we are working on all these problems," Garibashvili said.
💰 Experts believe that one of the scenarios could be a government buyout of the company's assets and nationalization of the enterprise.
❗️Yesterday, IDS Borjomi Georgia (owned by Russian Alfa Group) announced that it was forced to temporarily suspend production at both bottling plants. According to the statement, the reason for this is the restriction of their access to bank accounts due to sanctions.
💧Today, the Government bought the "Water of Tskaltubo" from a private owner for $8 million.

🇬🇪⚽️❌ The Georgian football clasico has been declared invalid - the decision on the result will be made by the disciplinary committee.
The central match of the 10th round of the league between Kutaisi "Torpedo" and its principal rival "Dinamo Tbilisi" was stopped due to a fight at 90+6 minute.
By this time, the capital's team was leading 2:1. It all started with a conflict between fans in the stands. Then the incident reached the substitutes and even the players. The captain of "Kutaisi" Vazha Tabatadze tried to take possession of the ball - the Kutaisi players were annoyed by the actions of the Belarusian goalkeepers’ coach of "Dynamo" Taikevich, who was playing for time. Spectators ran onto the field and began to threaten the players and the referee. Chief referee Nonikashvili, considering the safety of the participants in the game under such conditions insufficient, declared the end of the match and sent the teams to the locker rooms.

🇬🇪🚘 The largest commodity group in terms of product imports in Georgia in 2021 was cars ($898.8 million).
A foreign citizen can buy a car with only a passport. The setup is very easy and fast. When I bought a car here a year and a half ago, this process took about two hours. Very often, cars are brought to Georgia “on order”, the auto-selection service is not very developed here, but there is someone to contact. Many of the imported cars are usually sold (before the war) further, to Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries.
👮🏻‍♂️ According to the statistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in 2021, 84939 cars were imported into Georgia, as a result of which the car fleet exceeded 1.4 million. That is, according to statistics, every second inhabitant has a car. According to the report, 90% of imports are used cars.
📊 Rating of the most imported cars in Georgia:
Toyota Camry - 4868 (5% compared to 2021)
Ford Transit - 4674 ( 38%)
Toyota Prius - 4417 (-32%) - the most popular car in the country
Chevrolet Cruze - 3397 ( 107%)
Electric vehicles - 331 (0.4% of total imports). Of these: 62 - Nissan Leaf, 50 Tesla.

🇬🇪🚫🇪🇺 70% of European tourists have canceled their travel bookings to Georgia.
This was announced by the President of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants Shalva Alaverdashvili. He said that the cancellations are mainly due to the war in Ukraine and for security reasons. At the same time, an increase in tourists from Israel and the Persian Gulf countries is predicted. The Arab states are seen as a priority for 2022. Let me remind you that even last year, during the pandemic, at the peak of the season, 50 flights a week arrived from there.
🇷🇺 The number of tourists from the Russian Federation to Georgia, which was traditionally many before, is still difficult for experts to estimate this year. On the one hand, Russian travelers have very few holiday destinations, and on the other hand, the tense political situation and attitude towards them due to the war in Ukraine. In addition, there are no direct flights between the countries, and Russians need a reason to travel through Lars.
🇺🇦 Ukrainians, who have increased the number of trips to Georgia in several times over the past two years (third place in 2021), are definitely not up to tourism now. I wish them strength of spirit, strength and peace.

🇬🇪👨‍💻 The possibility of creating a technopark in the Kutaisi building of the former parliament and around it is being considered.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili made a special statement on this matter:
"As you know, in recent months, IT specialists, experts, many young people working in these companies, thousands of Georgians who work and serve global companies have been actively flocking to the country. There are proposals from large groups, including global companies and transnational organizations, about creating a technology park unique for the region."
ℹ️ From 2012 to 2019, the Parliament of Georgia was located there. A huge and modern building in western Georgia, built during the Saakashvili presidency, has been empty for more than three years after the top legislator returned to the capital.
Its location in Kutaisi was touted as a boost to the regional economy and as a way to bring the country together.

⚡️ There was an earthquake in Georgia.
Aftershocks (at least two) were strongly felt in Tbilisi. It was similar in strength to February earthquake.

🌋 Earthquake in Georgia: according to preliminary information, the magnitude is quite strong - 5.3.
The epicenter is near the village of Irganchay near Dmanisi, in the south of the country, 93 km from the capital.
ℹ️ A similar earthquake in the area was recorded on February 13th. Its magnitude was 6.1. As a result of that earthquake in the municipality, a school building and about 20 houses were damaged.

⚡️😷 From 02.05. The mask regime in Georgia will operate only in medical institutions and public transport.
This was stated by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

🇬🇪👮🏻‍♂️ Georgia is once again discussing the state of health and the situation around ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.
The trial began today in the abuse of power case on charges of dispersing an opposition rally in November 2007 and invading the Imedi TV company. At the moment, Saakashvili could not be brought to court due to poor health. His lawyer and colleague Nika Gvaramia said that the politician "is in an extremely serious condition and there is a threat to his life." A severe diagnosis could become a prerequisite for his release due to the 2013 executive order. However, the current authorities say that the actions of the politician are an imitation, and Minister of Justice Bregadze calls the news about the health of Mikheil Saakashvili "a harmful lie."

🇷🇺🇬🇪A Russian man at the age of 40 committed suicide in one of the Gudauri hotels.
“I hate everything that is connected with aggression, including the wars that my country waged first with Georgia, and now it is waging in Ukraine. Do not transport me to this hated country, Putin's Russia, bury me here in Georgia,” the letter was written in his deathbed. This is reported by several media outlets with reference to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“He loved Georgia very much and came here every year. Spent the last 10 days here, renting a room,”reports hotel representatives.

👮🏻‍♂️🚫 The Georgian Border Guard Service seized more than 10 kilograms of heroin at the border, 2 Azerbaijani citizens were detained.
Two people were detained at a guarded section of the Vakhtangisi border sector. They are accused of illegally crossing the state border of Georgia, as well as of illegally acquiring, storing and importing drugs on a particularly large scale. The seized 10 kilograms are estimated at $8-9 million.
❗️Crime is punishable by 15 to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.
🇬🇪➡️🇺🇸 Also, two people wanted by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have been extradited from Georgia to the United States today.

🪂 In Gudauri, during a tandem flight with a tourist, a paraglider pilot died.
It is known that he is a citizen of Ukraine and has been involved in this sport for a long time. Locals say that the incident was caused by bad weather and the paraglider crashed into a rock, the pilot suffered head injuries. As for the tourist, he was taken to the clinic.
❗️For my three years of living in Georgia, this is the first death that I know about. Flights are 99.9% safe.

🇬🇪🛫🇦🇲 Flyone Armenia Airlines started to operate flights Yerevan - Tbilisi - Yerevan on May 1
Flights will be operated 4 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The number of flights is expected to increase in the summer.
ℹ️ Price for May / June round trip from 130 euros (official website data)
🚌 For general information: Yerevan can be reached from Tbilisi by minibus, costs about $30 one way, 5 hours ride.

🇬🇪🦠🚫 Covid is leaving from Georgia.
Over the past day, only 51 new cases of infection were registered in the country. The Ministry of Health will now publish incidence statistics once a week, on Tuesdays, and I have closed this traditional section in the channel for a month now. In any case, take care of yourself and your loved ones, health and peace to everyone!
❗️ Friends, let me remind you that from today wearing a mask is mandatory only in public transport and medical institutions.

📈 In April 2022, compared to March, the inflation rate in Georgia was 1.8%, and the annual rate is 12.8%.
Which prices went up:
📍Food and non-alcoholic drinks 11%
📍Vegetables 9%
📍Oil and fat 7.4%
📍Bread and bakery products 4.7%
📍Coffee and tea 4.1%
📍Transport services (4.6%) and personal vehicles (3.9%)

🇬🇪👮🏻‍♂🇺🇸 According to the US Embassy in Georgia, Mohammad Yassin and Hassan Abdul Rahman, wanted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), were extradited from Georgia to the United States yesterday.
It is known that Yassin, detained in Tbilisi, is the head of a money laundering organization based in Lebanon, whose services are used by drug traffickers around the world.

⚡️The company "Borjomi" may be nationalized in the near future.
According to a number of experts and from my sources, one of the most famous Georgian brands can legally return to the country. At the moment, the government is considering the issue of nationalizing the company and appointing an interim manager. On April 30, Prime Minister Gharibashvlili stated that "I have good news about Borjomi".
❗️Let me remind you that two Borjomi bottling plants were closed a few days ago, as the Russian company that owns them and the oligarch Mikhail Fridman fell under international sanctions, which led to the freezing of accounts.

🇬🇪⚽️ The football match in the Georgian capital between the teams Dinamo from Tbilisi and Batumi ended with a score of 0-0, as well as the fans entering the field.
The game was quite interesting, despite the fact that there were no goals scored. The team from Adjara retained the first line in the standings and a good chance of repeating the championship.
Throughout the game, fans of both teams ran out onto the field, and at the end of the match it became quite massive. But unlike the recent game in Kutaisi, there were no fights.

📉🇬🇪 Georgia's press freedom rating has plummeted over the past year.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has released the 2022 Press Freedom Index, which measures the state of journalism in 180 countries around the world.
According to the study, Georgia dropped from 60th to 89th place and is in the problem category. Reporters Without Borders evaluate the state of press freedom in the world on five dimensions: political, legal, economic, social and security contexts. Georgia received the highest score of 80.79 in the legal area and the lowest score of 41.34 in the security context.
ℹ️ In many ways, this is due to the events of July 2021, when an action of the LGBT community was planned on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. Despite the fact that it was canceled, radical groups gathered on the avenue and attacked media representatives - reporters, cameramen and photographers, then 53 journalists were injured.

🇬🇪🇺🇦 Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze called adviser to the President of Ukraine and one of the negotiators with Russia Mikhail Podolyak "a shameful creature."
He made this statement while commenting on Podolyak's interview with Voice of America. In it, the Ukrainian politician stated that “Georgia looks at the war in Ukraine somewhat strangely” and stated that the Georgian authorities are directly or indirectly connected with Bidzina Ivanishvili, a Russian oligarch who has influence on the government.
“Podolyak’s statement is shameful. We heard a lot of shameful statements. I would ask you to figure out who Podolyak is,” the mayor said. At the same time, he urged to study the life and work of the Ukrainian politician: “I have very close ties with Ukraine. I lived and played there, and such creatures as Podolyak are shameful. I would ask to know who he was, what kind of life he lived and what he was like, ”added Kaladze.
ℹ️ On May 4, the Voice of America published an interview with Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine. In it, the politician stated that the position of the Georgian government contradicts the position of the democratic international community.
“We see that Georgia has a somewhat strange view of the war in Ukraine. It does not take the same clear and unambiguous position as that of the EU countries and the United States,” he said.