Abkhazia and South Ossetia fenced off from swine flu
Boundary of partially recognized republics with Georgia are closed.
The authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (South Ossetia) decided to close all border crossings with Georgia, where ongoing outbreak of a deadly H1N1 virus, which claimed the lives of 15 people. However, several of the patients from Abkhazia is still delivered to Georgia for treatment.
On Friday morning, the state security Committee of South Ossetia (KGB) announced the closure of the South Ossetian-Georgian border. The decision of the Agency was motivated by protecting the health of citizens in connection with the outbreak of swine flu in Georgia. We are talking about banning movement through the only checkpoint in Akhalgori / Leningor district.
In the message of the KGB of South Ossetia States that the security Council of the Republic, “discussed at a special meeting the situation with the spread of dangerous diseases in neighbouring country,” in order not to infect the citizens of South Ossetia “has decided to temporarily stop the operation of the checkpoint on the state border with Georgia from 20:00 on 11 January”. However, according to “Kommersant”, transmission “Leningor”, in fact, closed since mid-day Friday.
Bolesnicima flu – influenza a (H1N1)
Before a similar decision taken by the border service of Abkhazia, by entering at the checkpoint “Inguri” quarantine, in fact means a complete cessation of admission of citizens in both directions, with the exception of special occasions and special permissions.
Despite the ongoing conflict with Tbilisi, former Autonomous regions so far both of the checkpoint worked fine and, as has been noted, the Russian foreign Ministry statements on the “Georgian-Abkhazian” and “Georgian-Ossetian” topics “every day the border was crossed by hundreds of people in both directions.”