Azerbaijan 

On 1 May, the Azerbaijani government decided to extend the special quarantine regime until 31 May, but a number of restrictions  should also be lifted with this extension, reported Turan. 

The following activities were restored: 1) individual retail facilities activities;  2) hairdressers, beauty salons and cosmetic services were allowed to re-open, 3) previously prohibited activities of legal entities and individuals in the provision of services to business entities are also being restored; 4) access to restaurants, cafes and teahouses, local services are being restored to customers; 5) restrictions on access to boulevards, parks and recreation areas were lifted.

The authorization system for leaving the house including by SMS notification was liquidated in the country with the exceptions of Baku, Sumgait, Ganja, Lankaran and the Absheron region as well as in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Teaching in all educational institutions of the republic is suspended until 31 May.

In addition, the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers issued a resolution on regulating the sanitary situation in Azerbaijan during the special quarantine regime. The document was adopted with the aim to continue implementing measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Azerbaijan. During the special quarantine regime in Azerbaijan, the special sanitary regime was introduced for the following activities:1) food trade; 2) catering; 3) tourism and hotels; 4) public transport; 5) activities of structures engaged in the reception of citizens; 6) trade and services, office work. 

The current tally of infected persons in Azerbaijan stands at 1480, with 26 reported deaths.

Georgia

The restrictions on travel to the two big cities of Georgia, Batumi and Kutaisi, would be lifted from 5 May. Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia noted that the restrictions on travel still remain in force in Tbilisi and Rustavi; however, he expressed hope that they will be lifted in these cities in the coming days, in particular, by the end of the week.

The second phase of Georgia’s economic reopening will also start on 5 May and this includes the resumption of activities in: 1) construction, 2) construction supervision, 3) manufacture of building materials and 4) car repair and auto-service facilities.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved $200 million for Georgia to help address the effects of the coronavirus. The IMF said that the financial package would help Georgia “meet urgent balance of payments and fiscal needs” stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased spending on health services and social protection.

The IMF Deputy Managing Director and Chair Tao Zhang stated that the coronavirus pandemic has hit the Georgian economy hard. “A drop in external demand and tourism has widened the current account deficit, led to a depreciation of the exchange rate, and a substantial decline in economic activity. The authorities have acted rapidly by introducing sweeping containment measures and targeted support to households and to most affected sectors”, he said. Zhang also noted that “the fiscal deficit has increased, and external financing has been mobilised to allow for additional spending.”  

In the context of the impact of Covid-19 on the Georgian economy, the business associations representing various sectors of the hospitality industry in Georgia agreed to establish the Georgian Tourism Industry Alliance (GTIA) with the support of the USAID Economic Governance Program. The Georgian Tourism Industry Alliance will be a national tourism organization, founded mainly to promote the Georgian tourism identity and improve private sector reputation. The Head of the Gastronomic Association of Georgia Levan Qoqiashvili noted that such a large-scale union of associations is unprecedented in the country and their joint efforts are aimed at finding a way out of the difficult situation.

The current tally of infected persons in Georgia stands at 593, with 9 reported deaths.