US Ambassador : The President, ministries, Parliament and municipalities are trying their best to contain the virus

Kelly Degnan, Ambassador of the US to Georgia, addresses the people of Georgia to follow the advices and recommendations of the Georgian authorities and to “stay home’.

“Gamarjoba! I am Kelly Degnan, the United States Ambassador to Georgia. I am working from home today like most of my colleagues in the US Embassy community. We are following the advice of the Georgian authorities and the National Center for Decease Control to stay home as much as possible to practice social distancing and avoid crowded places. This is challenging time and we are all trying to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and healthy. We at the US Embassy are particularly grateful for the protective efforts of the Government of Georgia, including National Center for Decease Control. The Prime Minister, the President, every Ministry, Parliament and the municipalities are doing their best to contain the spread of the COVID 19 virus and minimize its impact. I would also like to thank the health workers, border guard police and countless other public servants for their professionalism and diligence in responding to this pandemic. The best way to thank them is to stay home and stay healthy. If you have been told to stay isolated or stay in quarantine because of travel contact with someone who may be sick or the outbreak of COVID 19 in your community please the right thing and comply even if you feel healthy it is absolutely critical that you follow these orders to protect your loved ones and others in your community. I urge you to follow the recommendations and the restrictions of the Georgian authorities and health experts if you can work from home. Stay at home except for essential errands. If you have to go out stay at least two meters away from other people an d avoid crowded places. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly this is one of the best precautions you can take and it’s so simple. The US Embassy community is doing its best to protect ourselves American citizens and our Georgian friends during the emergency unfortunately. We have had to reduce our operations and close the emcee to visitors. We are only handling emergency visa appointments and urgent American citizen services. This is serious steps I know but they help prevent spread of the virus. We want to act responsibly reduce the chance of becoming infected and ease the burden of those on the front lines of this fight : the doctors, nurses, police officers who are putting themselves at risk to help all of us. I urge all you, the citizens of Georgia to follow the guidance of the government and the healthcare professionals. I know some of you are experiencing particular hardships from canceled flights and travel restrictions I release you may be trying to get home to your families in the United States. Some of our embassy community are in the same boat. I assure you my team and I are exploring all options to assist you coordinating with Washington and working hard. Please stay in touch with us, let us know what you need and we will do whatever we can do to help you. In the meantime please remember we are all in this together and we will get through this together if we act responsibly and think of others again and again I urge you to follow the guidance from the Georgian authorities and stay safe and healthy “Darchi Shin. Didi Maadloba,” the US Ambassador said.