Category: 2020

 11:38, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. There are no major changes in Armenia in terms of the coronavirus situation, Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan said at the Cabinet meeting, adding that 593 new cases and 6 more deaths have been confirmed in the past one day.

“The situation with the healthcare system almost is the same, the intensive care units are full of patients. There are two-three beds, and we are managing to place patients who are in serious and critical condition in these beds”, he said, adding that the number of those in serious and critical condition is nearly 650. 44 people are switched to ventilators. As of this morning, 11 coronavirus infected people are waiting for hospitalization. 80 patients are waiting for their transportation to coronavirus designated hospitals.

He informed that the number of hospital beds is increasing in provinces. He will personally visit today the provinces to get acquainted with the process.

 12:22, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. During today’s Cabinet meeting Minister of Healthcare of Armenia Arsen Torosyan touched upon the vaccines against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), stating that there are currently over 100 vaccine candidates, of which nearly 20 are more likely to become a vaccine.

“Vaccines are tested at three stages on few people, then on several hundreds, and then on tens of thousands. The trials show that there will most likely be several vaccines. We are currently holding talks at several directions. The first one are the direct producers, I am personally holding these talks. Yesterday I talked to the commercial director of Moderna, co-founded by our compatriot Noubar Afeyan. This vaccine is one of the most likely candidates. We are also negotiating with the World Health Organization, UNICEf platforms which will try to purchase large amounts. The danger here is that there maybe countries which will purchase large amounts of vaccines and the other countries may get them later”, the minister said, adding that it’s necessary to hold the talks starting today in order not to be late later.

Torosyan said according to various estimates, the vaccine will be available to countries by the end of 2020 or in early 2021. It will be clear in early autumn because the summary of trials of the third stage is expected that time.

“The fact that it will exist and we will return to our normal life is already very good. We should not stay behind the developments”, the minister added.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 13:01, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh is planning to make higher education free and further improve the field, President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan said live on Facebook.

“We have already announced that higher education in Artsakh is going to be free. We are going to have a high-quality education. I can surely state that it will further improve”, the President said.

Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 13:22, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. The government approved the agreement on commercial cooperation between Armenia and Kazakhstan in the fields of supply of oil products to Armenia.

Minister of territorial administration and infrastructures Suren Papikyan said the necessity of signing the agreement is connected with the interest to cooperation in the delivery of oil products.

At today’s Cabinet meeting Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan added that this is an important agreement which has been debated and negotiated for nearly one and a half year.

“After the signing and ratification of the agreement an opportunity will be provided to import the Kazakh fuel to Armenia at better terms which supposes that there will be an opportunity for certain competitiveness in our fuel market. It will supposedly affect Armenia’s business market”, the deputy PM said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in his turn stated: “Yes, it’s very important, no matter how much we say that after 2018 the monopolistic phenomena especially in the market of oil products have mitigated, but it doesn’t mean that they have been eliminated, and here we have a lot to do with protecting the rights of our consumers and boosting also the competitiveness. We should not allow any artificial monopoly in Armenia because it firstly affects the protection of consumer rights”.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 15:05, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS:  The British government will effectively ditch its air bridge plans and simply end the coronavirus quarantine rules for those arriving from 75 countries so that people can go on holiday, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The newspaper said the UK would shortly lift a ban on non-essential travel to nearly all EU destinations, the British territories including Bermuda and Gibraltar, and Turkey, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. A spokesman for the transport ministry declined immediate comment.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government has been grappling with how to open up international travel after it imposed a 2-week quarantine for arrivals, which has added to the woes of the shuttered tourism and travel industry.

Britain said on Friday that it would ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from countries such as France, Greece and Spain. Simon Clarke, a junior housing, communities and local government minister said “Clearly we want to get the tourism sector back on its feet as quickly as we can and I’m sure that we will be able to give good news in the near future”.

 15:03, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government made a redistribution to the budget of the ministry of education, science, culture and sport and provided more than 1.9 billion drams for various capital expenditures.

Minister Arayik Harutyunyan said according to the draft it is planned to carry out renovation works in 7 colleges, upgrading works in 10 high schools, etc.

The minister also added that construction works are underway in 8 high schools under the education improvement program. “The works were suspended in two schools due to the coronavirus, but we have done the works almost by 80%. On September 1 we will have 21 new preschools across Armenia, with a new equipment”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 15:57, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. The quality of road construction in Armenia is much better than it was several years before, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting, adding that they are also dissatisfied with the existing quality.

“We should raise the quality for times. Of course, it would be better if foreign companies come here bringing with them a new culture, new standards, but we should reach the point that our Armenian companies will also conduct construction in other countries”, the PM said, adding that they need to raise standards.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:03, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan says this year medical hospitals will be built and will be repaired in Armenia in an unprecedented volume.

During today’s Cabinet meeting the minister said except for the twelve that are being implemented by the Urban Development Committee, they have two other large facilities to be built within the frames of the World Bank project.

“The construction of the Martuni medical center will start soon. Soon the tender for construction of Vayots Dzor medical center will be announced. These two will be constructed from zero and will meet all the international standards.

We will have a chance to start another urgent construction, are waiting for the signing of the agreement by the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development”, the minister said.

He said they will construct a new infectious disease hospital in Vanadzor due to coronavirus.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 17:27, 2 July, 2020

STEPANAKERT, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan signed a decree according to which Zoya Lazaryan has been relieved from the post of adviser to the President – permanent representative of the President in the National Assembly, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

According to another Presidential decree Ararat Danielyan was appointed adviser to the President-permanent representative of the President in the National Assembly.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 17:25, 2 July, 2020

YEREVAN, JULY 2, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian hosted President of the American University of Armenia (AUA) Karin Markides, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

At the meeting the sides exchanged views on the role of education in the contemporary world, issues relating to having a respective education in line with the changing world, as well as ensuring connection between the university and the economy.

The AUA President introduced the projects implemented by the university, and in particular the new initiative relating to the technology field, stating that it aims at establishing cooperation between educational facilities, scientific-research institutes and business.

The meeting participants discussed the Armenian presidential initiative ATOM (Advanced Tomorrow) on science and technology development and the cooperation opportunities within its framework.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan