Yesterday, too, one particular individual - an ordinary fraudster, in the full sense of the word - was spreading disinformation and lies on a television program, claiming that children in kindergartens had been poisoned by chicken meat and that the chicken supplied to kindergartens was spoiled. This is a blatant lie. Do not believe fraudsters,” Tbilisi Mayor and Secretary General of Georgian Dream Kakha Kaladze said at a City Hall meeting while discussing cases of kindergarten children being hospitalized after developing symptoms of an enterovirus.

According to him, chicken meat was not on the menu at all during those days, while the cause of the intoxication was identified as norovirus, and all seven kindergartens that were closed will resume normal operations within a few days.

“This did not require panic, nor did it require us to engage in political debates or respond to slander. What was needed was to take consistent steps, ensure coordinated work among all relevant agencies, and identify the causes of the specific problem.

That same day, we began taking the appropriate preventive measures in kindergartens in accordance with the protocol established by specialists. In consultation with epidemiologists, all necessary measures were implemented to ensure the maximum possible safety of the children and staff and to prevent risks. Today, with the involvement of the relevant laboratories and organizations, and based on the studies conducted, we have the virus identified by specialists - norovirus.

Most importantly, the children’s condition is satisfactory. Accordingly, the educational process will return to its normal routine in the coming days. All seven closed kindergartens will resume normal operations.

Over these days, we have heard a great deal of filth and a great many lies. Yesterday, too, one particular individual - an ordinary fraudster, in the full sense of the word - was spreading specific disinformation and lies on a television program, claiming that children in kindergartens had been poisoned by chicken meat and that the chicken supplied to kindergartens was spoiled. This is a blatant lie. Do not believe fraudsters.

We are completely transparent. We have not concealed the problems; we always come forward and say what the public needs to know and, most importantly, we tell the truth about specific matters. When it comes to children, speculation on this issue is absolutely unacceptable. They are spreading lies. For example, chicken meat was not on the menu at all that day.

I thank the Kindergarten Management Agency, the Ministry of Health of Georgia, the National Food Agency, the laboratories and epidemiologists, and all the agencies involved in identifying and preventing norovirus.

The studies are ongoing. In the near future, we will have information on what the source of the virus was,” Kaladze said.