Statement on TSU Employee Testing Positive for COVID-19

An employee of the cleaning service of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (Building 10) has tested positive for COVID-19. The infected employee’s personal contacts have already been identified and detailed information has been provided to the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia. 

It is worth noting that since March 23, TSU students have moved to distance learning and all lectures are being held remotely. The administrative staff is also working remotely, except for some cases, when several employees have to perform their duties at TSU for a short period of time. Thus, number of contacts with the infected employee is very small. 

All persons who had contacts with the infected employee are undergoing PCR testing. They have been asked to self-isolate. At this point, no spread of COVID-19 among TSU employees has been confirmed. 

Disinfection works were again carried out at TSU Building 10. Furthermore, TSU is fully equipped to provide the necessary protection – all buildings are equipped with desobarriers, disinfection liquids; thermal screening is carried out upon entering the building. 

Additional preventive measures were taken after the case of novel coronavirus was confirmed. 

Chancellor of Tbilisi State University, Lasha Saghinadze said: “Two persons with direct contacts and 10 persons with indirect contacts to the infected employee are staying in self-isolation. The infected person lives not far from the TSU building and last time she visited the TSU building nine days ago. Additional examination is now underway to identify the source of infection. However, it can be said for now that no source has been identified at TSU so far.” 

“The employees of TSU cleaning service have their own work schedule and they work only one day per week, for two or three hours,” Saghinadze added.