More than 200 Georgian citizens leave South Ossetia after opening of border

The authorities of South Ossetia allowed citizens of Georgia to return home across the border, closed in January because of the outbreak of swine flu. In connection with the quarantine, some residents of South Ossetia could not continue receiving medical treatment in Georgia, and businessmen had to raise the prices of food.

The Border Guard Service of the South-Ossetian KGB noted that the border is open temporarily, for the period from February 20 to 22.

"Due to the fact that citizens of Georgia, who came to South Ossetia to visit their relatives for the New Year holidays and failed to return, still stayed in the border settlements of South Ossetia, the Security Council temporarily opened checkpoints of simplified border crossing," reported the Border Guard Service. Entry from Georgia to South Ossetia is still not allowed.

According to the Border Guard Service of the South-Ossetian KGB, about 216 people returned to Georgia.

Tamaz Imnadze, a resident of Leningor, reported that the ban on entry to Georgia created inconveniences for his wife. "She underwent heart surgery ... Medicines that a doctor prescribes in Georgia cannot be found in pharmacies in South Ossetia. During all that time, my wife did not have medicines because of the closed border," the man said.