The outbreak of the new coronavirus in China, which started in December 2019, is spreading to more and more areas. The South Caucasus countries - Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan - have already taken measures in order to fight the dangerous virus. 

Armenia 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia urged Armenian citizens to avoid all but essential travel to China amid the coronavirus outbreak. The Foreign Ministry said they are monitoring the developments with the Embassy of Armenia in China, the Armenian Healthcare Ministry and other specialized bodies and are in touch with international organizations, the Chinese authorities and other countries. “We call on our citizens who are currently in China to maintain constant contact with the Armenian embassy and the Armenian Foreign Ministry,” read the official statement of the Armenian official bodies. 

The Ministry of Healthcare of Armenia said in a news release it had been engaged in active inter-agency cooperation with respective authorities for preventing the import of the virus to Armenia. “It has been scientifically proven that light appetizers, made particularly from seafood and snakes were the main factor of transmission,” the ministry said. The Ministry of Healthcare said it is dispatching specialists to border checkpoints as backup assistance for the Healthcare and Labor Inspectorate personnel who are monitoring the arrivals. It added that the State Service for Food Safety imposed an import ban on all Chinese animal products as a result of joint discussions.

Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani Health Minister Ogtay Shiraliyev signed a decree “On the strengthening of preventive measures against the new 2019 coronavirus-nCoV”. Health centres of Azerbaijan established hotlines on the coronavirus. Relevant structures will compile a list of food products that are considered to be particularly risky and allow virus transmission, and the food market will strengthen control over this issue. The Scientific Research Institute of Pulmonary Diseases allocated individual wards to strengthen preventive measures against the virus. 

The Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) stated that due to epidemiological situation in China, suspended the flights from Baku to Beijing until 8 March and offered passengers who have booked AZAL tickets for Baku-Beijing-Baku flights until 28 March to change the departure date or return the tickets without penalty.

Georgia 

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has launched preventive measures against the virus. “Citizens of China working on the East-West highway, a new section of road being built on the Rikoti Pass and on several Hydro Power Plants all over the country. Starting from today medics from NCDC will visit these workplaces to provide employees with relevant information about the symptoms of the virus,” said Amiran Gamkrelidze, the head of NCDC.

“Direct flights from China to Georgia have suspended for the time being,” stated Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze. “We have established an Emergency Coordination Group that is working actively with international organizations. Our air traffic is under control and we receive information from all airlines operating in Georgia. Therefore, all preventive measures have been taken,” she said. Medics have been deployed to check passengers via both remote thermometers and personal interviews. They also provide information on the symptomatic characteristics of the virus. 

Tikaradze added that the Ministry has not yet given any recommendations to the government regarding trade restrictions.

On 8 December 2019, a new coronavirus was identified in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, after people developed pneumonia without a clear cause and for which existing vaccines or treatments were not effective. The virus has shown evidence of human-to-human transmission and its transmission rate (rate of infection) appeared to escalate in mid-January 2020, with several countries other than China reporting cases. The incubation period (time from exposure to developing symptoms) of the virus is between 2 and 14 days and it remains contagious during this time. Symptoms include fever, coughing and breathing difficulties and it can be fatal. The first confirmed death from the coronavirus infection occurred on 9 January 2020. Since then, 106 people have died, all in mainland China. Outside of mainland China, cases have been reported in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, the United States, Canada, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, France, Australia, Malaysia, and Germany.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) called the epidemic “an emergency in China” on 23 January but stopped short of declaring it a global public health emergency. Numerous countries, including the US, have stepped up airport screenings and warned their citizens not to travel to China. Some countries, including Indonesia and the Philippines, have restricted Chinese tourists. Others have begun to plan for the evacuating their citizens from Wuhan. Hong Kong is to stop issuing individual travel permits for travellers from mainland China. Chinese and international scientists are studying the virus, tracking its origin and working on a vaccine - but it could take months for clinical trials to begin and more than a year before any such drug becomes available.