On 27 January, Georgia’s Infrastructure Minister Maia Tskitishvili announced that shopping malls will open their doors starting from 1 February, with dressing rooms working and already purchased products allowed to be exchanged as well, following a meeting with the representatives of shopping malls and retail centres. 

She said that the negotiations were underway with the Labour Inspection Office to agree on the requirements before opening malls and noted that some restrictions like the amount of people accessed to one square meter of commercial space may be eased. The business sector voiced several requirements before the meeting, including public transport resumption, weekend work permits, and rescheduling the movement restrictions for an hour later, from 10 pm instead of 9 pm. The business representatives added the retailers have already proved they could safely serve customers amid the pandemic. 

A day earlier, the founder of the Georgian Restaurants Association Shota Burjanadze complained that the prolongation of restrictions in the country lacked logic. “There is a complete misunderstanding among the business community, epidemiologists, and the state. The current gap has further widened. The business is on the verge of collapse, and a social explosion is imminent,” he said. He added that business should resume operation following safety recommendations within the regulations.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia emphasised that as long as transmission rate continues to remain at over 4% any talk about normal economic performance is “nothing more than gossip.” “If the community transmission rate drops under 4% in the coming weeks, we will be able to talk about the resumption of municipal transport in the capital city and the reopening of those economic sectors that will be permitted by the epidemic situation,” he stated. He added that since imposing targeted Covid-19 restrictions in Georgia the number of test-positive cases has been declining and that everything should be done to resume the tourism sector in the country for the summer.  

Gakharia also commented on the situation of the ski resorts in the country, which have been hit the hardest by the Covid-19 restrictions. He said what is happening at ski resorts now (60% of the facilities were already listed for sale) was “saddening” and businesses in Gudauri, Bakuriani, Mestia and Goderdzi face economic challenges now but the government’s intention is to avoid short-term impulsive decisions, which should lead to a quick recovery for summer.