COVID-19: Ambassador Kelly Degnan Speaks of U.S. Aid to Georgia to Tackle Pandemic
In a video message released on April 13, Ambassador Kelly Degnan spoke of U.S. efforts to help Georgia address public health challenges posed by COVID-19, as well as of the American support, in general, to build a capable and resilient healthcare system in Georgia.
As stated by the Ambassador, the U.S. has allocated assistance to help Georgia overcome the COVID-19 pandemic through:
- Financial aid amounting USD 1.1 million to prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance;
- Donating personal protective equipment worth GEL 100,000 (USD 31,456);
- Delivering 2,000 high-quality rapid test kits that can detect the COVID-19 virus within hours.
During the COVID-19 emergency, we can clearly see the life-saving impact of our work in this sector — the Georgian authorities and the Georgian people, working together, have swiftly and effectively acted to manage this crisis and reduce the spread of COVID-19,” Ambassador Degnan noted.
According to the Ambassador, several U.S. companies operating in Georgia have followed suit and pitched in to help the Georgian people. In particular, members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia donated around GEL 3 million (appr. USD 955,414) to Stop Cov-19, a government-managed relief fund. In addition, several U.S. branded hotels have offered their hotel facilities for use as “much-needed” quarantined spaces, she noted.
The U.S. Ambassador highlighted that, over the course of years, the American People provided public health assistance amounting USD 140 million to Georgia.
Ambassador Degnan maintained that the partnership between the U.S. and Georgia “remains strong, as we confront an unprecedented emergency together,” and that the U.S. Embassy “will continue to look for more ways” to support Georgia and “provide additional assistance” when needed.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
