The territory's public health officials have warned against opening up to tourism, and the arrival of tourists has coincided with a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Articles on the U.S. Embassy-sponsored website call COVID-19 a "fake pandemic" and oppose vaccines. Health experts warn it could make the crisis worse.
The vote went ahead in spite of the global coronavirus outbreak; although Abkhazia hasn’t recorded any cases, election officials took pains that the disease couldn’t be spread by voting.