Thursday,
Infected Official Slams Armenian Health Authorities
• Artak Khulian
Armenia -- A medical worker clad in protecive gear and an ambulance parked at
the entrance to Surp Grigor Lusavorich hospital, Yerevan, April 8, 2020.
A senior government official infected with coronavirus has lambasted the
Armenian health authorities, saying that he did not receive adequate medical
care in hospital and was sent home despite developing more health problems.
Faced with a rapidly growing number of coronavirus cases, the authorities
stopped late last week hospitalizing or isolating people who show mild symptoms
of the disease or none at all. They also began discharging fully or mostly
asymptomatic patients from hospitals.
The Ministry of Health said that state-run policlinics across Armenia have been
ordered to monitor such patients and give them necessary treatment or medication
if need be.
Aram Babajanian, an adviser to the head of the Armenian government’s Urban
Development Committee, and his wife were discharged from a Yerevan hospital at
the weekend more than one week after testing positive for coronavirus.
In an interview with Hetq.am published late on Wednesday, Babajanian claimed
that they barely underwent any treatment in the hospital and were sent home
despite continuing to suffer from pneumonia and not having a second coronavirus
test. He said a handful of hospital workers only measured their temperature and
blood oxygen levels twice a day and left most of their questions unanswered.
Babajanian also claimed that the purported treatment caused him to develop a
fungal disease and problems with his liver.
The 68-year-old official stood by his allegations when he spoke to RFE/RL’s
Armenian service by phone on Thursday.
“I don’t know now whether or not I still have pneumonia and whether or not I’m
still a coronavirus carrier,” he said. “As a result of the ‘treatment’ given to
me, my [blood] test results only worsened and I don’t know the current state of
my liver.”
“How should I continue my treatment and where should I have blood tests or a
computerized tomography scan to find out the condition of my lungs if I’m
supposed to remain in self-isolation for two weeks?” asked Babajanian.
The Ministry of Health dismissed the claims, insisting that the couple’s
treatment was proper and “smooth.” A ministry statement said the hospital in
question has a good track record of saving the lives of COVID-19 patients.
The statement also charged that Babajanian and his wife are unhappy because they
demanded privileged treatment from the hospital staff but were denied it. It
said they wanted to be checked by a medical professor.
Babajanian categorically denied that. “I demand that they name the person to
whom I said such a thing … They are telling obvious lies,” he said.
Babajanian further alleged that doctors from a policlinic close to his place of
residence refused to help when he contacted them after being released from the
hospital.
Speaking at a news briefing held later in the day, Health Minister Arsen
Torosian acknowledged “some tension” between policlinic staff and infected
Armenians confined to their homes. He blamed it on the inexperience of
policlinic doctors who are only now starting to deal with coronavirus infections.
Torosian also urged disgruntled patients to alert his ministry about problems
encountered by them through a special telephone hotline.
Inessa Petrosian, a well-known lawyer, was also told to self-isolate in her
apartment after contracting COVID-19 recently. She too complained about the
plight of people like her.
“I manage to somehow solve my issues but I’m sure that many other citizens stuck
in their homes are only doing one thing: measuring their temperatures,”
Petrosian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “But this virus is such that you don’t
know what your temperature will be moments later. People who haven’t had their
lungs examined don’t know what other problems they may have shortly afterwards,
and nobody else cares.”
Armenia Reports Single-Day Record For Coronavirus Deaths
• Tatevik Lazarian
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia -- A COVID-19 patient at the intensive care unit of Surp Grigor
Lusavorich hospital, Yerevan, May 10, 2020. (A photo by the Armenian Mnistry of
Health)
Armenia’s government dismissed on Thursday growing calls for a fresh nationwide
lockdown following a record-high number of daily coronavirus deaths registered
in the country.
The Ministry of Health reported in the morning that 15 more people died from
coronavirus in the past day, taking the official death toll to 113.
The toll does not include the deaths of 44 other people infected with the virus.
The ministry says that those fatalities were primarily caused by other,
pre-existing conditions.
The ministry also reported that the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases
in the country of about 3 million rose by 442 to 8,216. The official figures
suggest that more than a third of daily coronavirus tests came back positive on
Wednesday.
According to Health Minister Arsen Torosian, at least 324 COVID-19 patients
treated in Armenian hospitals are now in a severe or critical condition. “These
numbers explain the sharp increase in deaths,” said Alina Nikoghosian, a
spokeswoman for Torosian.
Torosian repeatedly warned last week of an impending shortage of intensive care
beds in the hospitals, saying that they may soon be unable to give life-saving
treatment to all patients. He said this could lead to a significant increase in
coronavirus deaths.
The Armenian health authorities have so far set up a total of only about 200
beds at the intensive care units of the hospitals dealing with the COVID-19
epidemic. More than 150 of them were reportedly occupied as of Sunday.
The accelerating spread of the virus forced the authorities on May 22 to stop
hospitalizing or isolating infected people showing mild symptoms of the disease
or none at all. They also began discharging asymptomatic patients from the
hospitals.
The daily numbers of new COVID-19 infections and deaths have increased
significantly since the Armenian government began lifting in mid-April lockdown
restrictions imposed in late March. All sectors of the Armenian economy were
allowed to resume their work by May 10.
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks during a cabinet meeting in
Yerevan .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian made clear on Wednesday that despite the “quite
severe situation” the government is not planning to again restrict people’s
movements and shut down much of the economy. He repeated that ordinary Armenians
can easily defeat the virus if they frequently wash their hands, wear face masks
and practice social distancing.
About a dozen Armenian civic organizations strongly criticized on Thursday this
strategy of tackling the epidemic, saying that the safety rules set by the
government are flouted by many citizens and not properly enforced by the police
and sanitary authorities.
In a joint statement, they warned that the country’s overstretched healthcare
system is facing “collapse” because of the growing number of new COVID-19
infections. The only way to prevent a greater disaster is to impose a strict
nationwide lockdown that would last for at least two weeks, said the statement.
Pashinian’s spokeswoman, Mane Gevorgian, disagreed, saying that the office of a
government “commandant” enforcing a coronavirus-related state of emergency in
Armenia “at the moment sees no need to again impose a lockdown.”
“That is one of the scenarios but it is not a desirable one,” Gevorgian told
RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “Given the economic situation and the [warming]
weather, it’s very hard to keep people at home.”
“People want to get out, which is why we can only urge people to follow the
rules when leaving their homes: to wear masks, practice social distancing and
not gather in groups,” she said.
Armenia -- Young women stroll in the center of Yerevan, May 25, 2020.
“Very soon people will start dying [in even larger numbers,] many of them
without receiving adequate medical aid,” countered one of the NGO statement’s
signatories, Daniel Ioannisian of the Union of Informed Citizens.
“This is also the result of actions and inactivity of the commandant’s office
and the police,” said Ioannisian. “In this sense, their approaches are
unacceptable. They can’t support the economy at the expense of human lives
because we are losing both the economy and lives as a result.”
The civic activist also said that the authorities failed to properly enforce the
lockdown imposed by them earlier this spring. He said the coronavirus crisis has
since become so serious that the authorities have not only switched to home
confinement of most infected people but also stopped tracing and isolating all
other individuals who have been in contact with them.
“The state is not trying to control the spread of the virus in any way simply
because it has reached such a scale that the state is not even able to control,”
added Ioannisian.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Janet Ekmekjian
Armenia’s former security chief urges creation of new anti-crisis government
Panorama, Armenia
Former Director of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) Artur Vanetsyan took to Twitter on Thursday to raise the need for the creation of a new anti-crisis government to handle the coronavirus situation in the country.
“The growing pace of the infection spread and the significantly increasing economic and social tensions are a serious threat to our country,” he tweeted.
“To avoid a humanitarian disaster we need a new anti-crisis government to bring the country out of this plight by uniting all forces," Vanetsyan added.
Վարակի տարածման ահագնացող տեմպը, տնտեսական և սոցիալական լարվածության էական աճը լուրջ սպառնալիք են մեր երկրի համար։
Հումանիտար աղետից խուսափելու համար անհրաժեշտ է նոր՝ հակաճգնաժամային կառավարություն, որը համախմբելով բոլոր կարող ուժերը, դուրս կբերի երկիրը այս ծանր իրավիճակից:— Artur Vanetsyan (@ArturVanetsyan)
https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2020/05/21/Artur-Vanetsyan/2295280
Newspaper: Armenia authorities make final decision on how to resolve Constitutional Court issue
News.am, Armenia
09:27, 20.05.2020
Iran coronavirus cases increase by 2,294 in past 24 hours
14:48,
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. According to the latest data, the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Iran has increased by 2,294, bringing the total number of cases to 122,492, the Armenian Embassy in Iran reported today.
69 more deaths have been registered in the past one day. The death toll has reached 7,057.
2,712 infected people are in serious condition.
1,197 more patients have recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 95,661.
So far, 701,640 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Iran.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Public eateries required to screen patrons for fever at entrance
12:26,
YEREVAN, MAY 15, ARMENPRESS. All public eateries such as cafes and restaurants are required to screen patrons for fever before letting them in, Deputy Minister of Economy Varos Simonyan said.
Patrons showing flu-like symptoms such as a runny nose, cough or fever will not be allowed to enter the venues, he said.
The businesses are also required to report potential sick customers to the healthcare authorities.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Erdogan called the Armenian lobby an evil that Turkey intends to confront
Arminfo, Armenia
ArmInfo.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his address by TV following a meeting of the country's Cabinet of Ministers announced the actions of the authorities to counter the consequences of the new type of coronavirus pandemic.
In his speech, the Turkish leader also touched upon attempts at economic and other pressure on Turkey. According to him, Ankara is "well aware of the insidious goals behind the" traps "for the economy of the country.
"We will continue to reflect threats and aggression directed against our borders. Terrorist organizations hostile to Turkey's forces will be defeated in their lairs. Turkey will fully defend its interests in the Mediterranean, Cyprus and the Aegean. We will not give up before the forces of evil, either FETO, the RKK, the Armenian and Greek lobbies, or centers of hostility in the Persian Gulf, " Anadolu cites the Turkish leader as saying.
Armenian government provides direct assistance to more than 1 million citizens
12:35, 6 May, 2020
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. More than 1 million people in Armenia received direct assistance from the government as part of the measures for eliminating the consequences of the coronavirus outbreak, PM Nikol Pashinyan said in parliament.
He reminded lawmakers that the government enacted 16 different anti-crisis measures.
“As a result of these we have already managed to provide concrete assistance to over 21,000 businesses by providing privileged loans. And more than 1 million people received direct assistance from the government,” he said.
Pashinyan said the first purpose of the anti-crisis action was to avoid panic, and to ensure the healthcare system’s capacity for treating coronavirus patients. The number of infectious diseases hospital beds were increased from 300 to 1500, and an additional 150 beds will be commissioned soon.
600 beds at hotel/hospitals have been prepared for asymptomatic cases.
“More than half of our cases are people who carry the coronavirus but don’t have any symptoms. And our policy for them is to simply isolate them in order to prevent transmission. We have prepared 2300 hotel beds for isolating direct contacts. Over 6000 people were isolated during this period,” Pashinyan said, adding that the authorities also prioritized safeguarding the dignity of citizens involved.
He also emphasized the rapid stabilization of the financial market, noting that unlike many other countries Armenia did not suffer a market collapse and inflation was effective managed.
Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Authorities search Ucom executive’s home, says lawyer
UPDATED: Authorities search Ucom executive's home, says lawyer
15:17, 2 May, 2020
YEREVAN, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS. Authorities are searching the apartment of the new CEO of Ucom Ara Khachatryan, according to his lawyer Amram Makinyan.
Makinyan said on social media that detectives are confiscating documents concerning the company’s strategic development that have nothing to do with the criminal case.
UPDATES
16:05 – Makinyan says National Security Service agents are also searching the office of the former CEO and founder of Ucom Hayk Yesayan.
Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
The G-Word: Why The US Needs to Recognize Genocides
Brown Political Review
April 8 2020
MEGHAN MURPHY | APRIL 8, 2020
For a century, the United States government refused to recognize the systematic murder and explusion of 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide. This was despite the fact that the Armenian diaspora was the most active group of survivors campaigning for formal recognition around the globe and transformed the debate about the United States’ role in qualifying targeted mass murders as genocide. The case of Armenian non-recognition is not a unique one – past administrations refused to recognize the Cambodian or Rohingya mass murders as genocides despite international agreement on the use of the term.
The case of Armenia was impacted earlier this year when both the House and Senate voted to pass resolutions that officially recognized the genocide in October and December. However, this was not motivated by a desire to vote in accordance with UN Conventions on the definition of genocide, but rather to strike back at Turkey for its invasion of Northern Syria in October. This politicization of the act led Turkish President Erdogan to threaten to recognize the American genocide of Native Americans. President Trump concluded the debacle when he denied that the US position had changed at all.
The United States, as well as the global community, needs to recognize the ways in which current and historic genocide recognition can be used not only as a signal of moral respect for victims, but to give much needed aid to suffering people, and prevent future atrocities through education. Instead of political relationships as the deciding factor when recognizing a genocide, the US should declare genocide whenever a case fits the definitions set out by United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. A policy detached from political considerations but focused on the realities of conflicts will lead to more immediate and effective action to prevent more atrocities in the future.
The most obvious argument for a political and consistent genocide recognition is that the United States is morally bound to authentically recognize such horrific acts and in doing so, demonstrate respect for victims. In the case of Armenia, earlier recognition would have affirmed and eased the generational trauma one million Armenian-Americans and 10 million others, continue to suffer. Instead, they received a belated statement that was clearly only made to antagonize Turkey.
"However, what is important here is the comparative of not making any effort to pressure an end to mass murders."
However, making the argument that countries should change their policies based on ethical obligations to make victims feel seen is largely inconsequential. Instead, policy makers can be persuaded to make a change based on the concrete benefits that genocide acknowledgement brings.
First, a concise statement from a government on the categorization of mass killings can lead to military intervention to stop a current crime. In past occasions, as a US Holocaust Memorial museum report states: the American government “placed great stock in the possibility that a US acknowledgment […] would force the US government to undertake or press for more forceful efforts to prevent and punish the crimes, and in some cases to put military force behind that effort.” For example, the question of evaluating the Bosnian genocide was strongly tied to questions about whether the US should intervene militarily or lift the arms embargo put in place by the Security Council on Yugoslavia. The US ended up taking two years to reach a consensus on the Bosnian case, making the previous military debates irrelevant as the genocide had ended. However, if they had a more liberal policy at the time, it is likely that airstrikes would have been used to prevent further atrocities. In the case of Darfur, diplomats were so caught up in debating the use of the term genocide and its political implications that they stalled on the “more important questions about how to craft an effective response to mass violence,” leading to delayed action. However, once the State Department did declare that genocide was occuring in 2004, the US assisted the dispatching of 670 African Union troops to the region and 20,000 military personnel from the United Nations’ security force. In addition to financially supporting troops, the US provided bases and equipment to protect civilians in Darfur.
Secondly, when a current genocide is declared or a historical one is recognized, victims and their descendants are also more likely to receive aid. In the three years after the State Department issued a rare genocide declaration in Darfur, they sent over $4 billion in humanitarian, peacekeeping, and development assistance, as well as 40,000 tons of food a month to Sudan. For nearly two decades, sanctions were placed on the assets of Sudanese leaders implicated in the Darfur violence and on companies owned by the government of Sudan. Financial support can also come if a historical genocide is recognized because, as Thomas de Waal writes for Foreign Affairs, descendants of the perpetrators of the genocide “aspire to absolve their ancestors of guilt” after official recognition and seek to remove links between them and past. After the international community recognized the Holocaust, Germany was pressured to make financial reparations to Israel.
Finally, minority groups can gain a global recognition of their struggles and thus tangible political powers following recognition. An internationally recognized genocide is far more likely to end up being taught in school curriculums because the Responsibility to Protect doctrine recommends that “education curriculums should include instructions on past violations and on the causes, dynamics and consequences of atrocity crimes.” Across American states, curriculums generally include the most “well-known” genocides. For example, the Rhode Island Board of Education Act only stipulates that students study the German, Armenian, Cambodian, Iraqi, Rwandan, and Darfur genocides, which are coincidentally six of the ten genocides the US has ever acknowledged. Furthermore, the US has the financial and political capability to help develop genocide education in the countries where it has taken place. As de Waal argues, the US could help Turkey conserve Armenian heritage or “restore the place of Armenians” in Turkish history books. This same process has occurred with UN support in developing genocide studies in Rwandan and Cambodian secondary schools. This educational system transforms into worldwide knowledge and understanding of victim’s suffering, and this can give them a moral and political credit that transfers to the protection of rights in the present day. For example, global recognition of the Holocaust after World War I transfered support to the Jewish political movement of Zionism.
It is important to understand that just recognition is not a solution for ending genocides or a way to satisfy the US’ role in ending crimes against humanity. Recognizing an act with a specific word should certainly not be the most important aspect of American foreign policy, which is a view is backed up by experts like Samantha Powers, who have cautioned against focusing only whether or not to use the “G-Word.” Furthermore, even when the US has made a declaration on genocide and acted, the crime is not always fixed or undone – this is clearly shown in the failures the US made in dealing with the Darfur crisis. However, what is important here is the comparative of not making any effort to pressure an end to mass murders.
The benefits of a country taking the step to put international pressure on perpetrators of crimes using a genocide resolution, as well as pressure upon themselves and other world powers to act, cannot be denied. As a country with immense power to stop mass killing, the US government must be able to issue effective policy and gain insight on the potential of their language in foreign affairs.
Photo: Image via Flickr (John Brighenti)
Coronavirus case diagnosed in Lebanon refugee camp
11:50,
YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. The first coronavirus case has been reported at the refugee camp in eastern Lebanon.
According to RIA Novosti, a Palestinian refugee displaying symptoms was taken to a hospital in Beirut where the coronavirus was diagnosed.
The camp houses around 60,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria.
Local authorities said they are working to prevent the virus from spreading in the camp.
So far Lebanon has 677 confirmed cases, with 21 fatalities.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan