Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Government Pressing Ahead With COVID-19 Health Pass
• Gayane Saribekian
Armenia - Pedestrians wear mandatory face masks in Yerevan, November 2, 2021.
The Armenian government will introduce after all a mandatory coronavirus health
pass for entry to cultural and leisure venues, Health Minister Anahit Avanesian
announced on Wednesday.
Avanesian said that her ministry will publicize a relevant directive on January
10. “It will come into force within the next 15 days,” she told a cabinet
meeting in Yerevan.
The decision means that only those people who have been vaccinated against
COVID-19 or have had a recent negative test will be allowed to visit bars,
restaurants and other public venues. It is part of government efforts to boost
Armenia’s vaccination rate, which remains one of the lowest in Europe and
Central Asia.
In Avanesian’s words, only 722,409 making up roughly a quarter of the country’s
population have been fully vaccinated so far. More than 224,000 others have
received only the first dose of a vaccine.
The vaccination process accelerated after the government began requiring on
October 1 virtually all workers to get inoculated or take frequent coronavirus
tests at their own expense.
Armenia - Health Minister Anahit Avanesian visits the Armenian company Liqvor
producing Sputnik Light vaccine, Yerevan, December 6, 2021.
The Armenian Ministry of Health first announced plans for the health pass in
November, prompting strong criticism from some restaurants and other affected
entities. The requirement was initially expected to take effect on January 1.
The ministry is pressing ahead with the measure despite a significant drop in
coronavirus cases and deaths recorded in recent weeks. It has reported between
100 and 150 cases a day for the last two weeks, sharply down from over 2,000
daily cases recorded in late October.
Only three Armenians died from COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to the ministry. A
record 62 deaths caused by the disease were registered on November 2.
“If we don’t continues vaccinations in a proper manner, the [coronavirus] crisis
will inevitably return,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said, commenting on
Avanesian’s announcement.
Pashinian noted in this regard that Armenian authorities have not yet detected
any cases of the more contagious Omicron variant of the virus.
“I can hardly imagine that variant not entering Armenia,” he said.
Armenian Retailers Ignore Ban On Plastic Bags
• Robert Zargarian
Armenia - A woman in Yerevan carries groceries in plastic bags, January 5, 2022.
Supermarkets and other shops in Armenia continued to provide or sell plastic
bags to customers on Wednesday five they days after such items were legally
banned.
The ban, effective from January 1, stems from a 2020 law aimed at reducing
plastic waste and its serious damage to the environment. It means that shoppers
can get only single-use bags made from recycled paper or other organic materials.
There was little evidence in Yerevan of retailers’ compliance with the new
requirement. Supermarket chains and grocery stores across the city clearly did
not abandon plastic bags.
“No, they didn’t offer me any alternative,” a man carrying groceries in such a
bag told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service as he left a shop.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Environment Minister Hakob Simidian touted
the ban’s entry into force during a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan. But they
seemed to acknowledge problems with its enforcement.
Pashinian stressed that it is local government bodies, rather than state
inspectorates subordinate to the central government, that are supposed to ensure
retailers’ compliance with the requirement. He told Minister for Territorial
Administration Gnel Sanosian and provincial governors to make this clear to city
mayors and other community heads.
Pashinian warned that the government will task its inspectorates with enforcing
the ban if local authorities fail to do the job.
Cigarette Sales In Armenia Regulated
• Artak Khulian
The Armenian government pledged to enforce on Wednesday major restrictions on
cigarette sales designed to curb widespread smoking in the country.
Starting from January 1, Armenian supermarkets, smaller shops and kiosks are not
allowed to display cigarette packs on their shelves. Nor can they advertise
tobacco brands, e-cigarettes and vaporizers in any way.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stressed the importance of the ban at the start
of a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan. Pashinian said relevant government
inspectorates must ensure retailers’ compliance with it.
“We are doing everything to get people to forget about buying cigarettes,” he
said.
Health Minister Anahit Avanesian said the new restrictions should specifically
help to prevent many minors and other young Armenians from becoming smokers.
Davit Melik-Nubarian, a public health expert, welcomed the measure. “This is the
right path,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “Those who have travelled abroad
must have noticed that such regulations are in force in Russia and European
Union countries and they are really effective.”
Armenia is a nation of heavy smokers, with few restrictions on tobacco sales and
use enforced to date. According to the Ministry of Health, 28 percent of the
country’s adult population are regular smokers. Medics blame this for a high
incidence of lung cancer among Armenians.
A study jointly conducted by the ministry, the United Nations and other
international organizations found that each year smoking-related diseases kill
about 5,500 people in the country of about 3 million.
The sales restrictions stem from a law drafted by the Ministry of Health and
passed by the Armenian parliament about two years ago. The law also banned
smoking in cafes, restaurants and all other indoor public places. The ban’s
entry into force was delayed until March 2022.
Melik-Nubarian said the government should also sharply raise taxes on tobacco.
“Unfortunately, cigarette prices in Armenia are the lowest in the region,” he
said.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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