From : Tamar Gabunia <tgabunia@moh.gov.ge>
To : Lajos Kovács <mail@lajoskovacs.com>
Subject : Re: Lessons learnt from easing COVID-19 restrictions - The Lancet
Cc : Ketevan Goginashvili <kgoginashvili@moh.gov.ge>; Lika Gamgebeli <gamgebelilika@gmail.com>
Received On : 30.09.2020 16:32
Thanks a lot! This is very helpful. Stay safe!

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From: Lajos Kovács
Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2020 8:05:17 PM
To: Tamar Gabunia
Cc: Ketevan Goginashvili ; Lika Gamgebeli
Subject: Lessons learnt from easing COVID-19 restrictions - The Lancet
 
Dear Tamar,

I regret to have seen that the so-called second wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic has recently hit Georgia as seriously as Hungary. Now, in both countries much higher numbers of new cases are recorded every day than in spring this year. However, your efforts are exemplary and I would like to further support the response of your Ministry to COVID-19 by sharing a useful publication. Please find it below: 

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32007-9/fulltext

The authors identify key learnings from selected countries experiences which have implications for lockdown exit strategies worldwide:

- A clear plan with a transparent decision-making process is essential, ideally explicitly stating the levels or phases of easing restrictions, the criteria for moving to the next level or phase, and the containment measures that each level or phase entails.
- Governments should have robust systems in place to closely monitor the infection situation before easing measures. The R value is important, but this requires high quality data in real time to be accurate and needs to be interpreted using epidemiological knowledge. 
- For communities to reopen safely, control measures to reduce transmission will be needed for some time, including face masks and social distancing. Governments must educate and engage with the public, building trust, and selecting appropriate measures that the public are willing to comply with. 
- Countries must have an effective find, test, trace, isolate, and support system in place before easing lockdown restrictions. Any test, trace, isolate, and support system needs to be supported by sustained investment in public health capacity and health system capacity including facilities, supplies, and workforce.
- Governments should adopt a so-called zero-COVID strategy, which aims to eliminate domestic transmission.

Both the review of the resilience of the health care system in Georgia prepared by Lika and myself, and the post crisis plan for the health sector prepared by the World Bank consultants address and recommend on similar measures, as well as the Government of Georgia has considered these key domains of the response strategy, indeed. This publication shares international experience and can support strategic planning in Georgia on the short or medium term. 

Thank you for your consideration.

Best wishes,

Lajos