Category: 2020

Armenian official: Authorities don’t run statistics on cases of teachers infected with COVID-19

Toneyan Mark
News.am, Armenia
April 7 2020
Armenian official: Authorities don’t run statistics on cases of teachers infected with COVID-19 Armenian official: Authorities don’t run statistics on cases of teachers infected with COVID-19

17:44, 07.04.2020
                  

The government doesn’t run statistics on separate cases of teachers infected with coronavirus. This is what Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Armenia Zhanna Andreasyan told reporters today.

According to her, in some sense, the release of these statistics may be considered release of personal data, but, in any case, there is no need to run these statistics.

Andreasyan also recalled the cases of contacts that a student of a school in Etchmiadzin had had after testing positive for coronavirus and added that the government had taken all the necessary measures and had even isolated people. However, the deputy minister fell short of stating that one of the main reasons for the outbreak of coronavirus in Etchmiadzin was the government’s decision to resume classes on schools on March 9 in order to not cancel the campaign for a referendum to make amendments to a particular article of the Constitution.

Relatives of citizen infected with coronavirus in Artsakh are from Armenia, also infected

Emil Lazarian
News.am, Armenia
April 7 2020

19:37, 07.04.2020
                  

The citizen infected with the coronavirus in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) was born in 1957, his family members are also suspected of being infected with the coronavirus, and the residents of Mirik village of Kashatagh region have been self-isolated. This is what Minister of State of the Republic of Artsakh Grigory Martirosyan informed during an urgent press conference today.

According to him, the citizen had arrived from the city of Artashat of the Republic of Armenia on March 30. “The Ministry of Health of Artsakh immediately isolated the citizen at the medical institution in Kashatagh region as soon as there was a suspicion that the family members of that citizen who live in Artashat were infected with the coronavirus. This took place on April 2,” Grigory Martirosyan said, adding that the family members of the citizen living in Artashat have also tested positive for coronavirus.

The Minister of State also said the circle of people who had had contact with the citizen was known in advance. “There are 17 people, and they are also self-isolated,” he said, adding that the citizen infected with the coronavirus didn’t have symptoms.

Russian-Armenian physicist dies from Covid-19 complications

Alex Nanijanian
PanArmenian, Armenia
April 7 2020
April 7, 2020 – 18:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Celebrated Russian physicist of Armenian descent Mishik Kazaryan has passed away in a hospital in Moscow shortly after the death of his wife, epidemiologist Arpik Asratyan, RBC reports citing a family member.

According to the person familiar with the matter, both spouses had bilateral pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus.

Kazaryan was 72 years old. The source said the scientist and his wife were both hospitalized on March 23 and had no symptoms other than high fever.

Arpik Asratyan, a doctor of medical sciences and a prominent voice in the treatment of viral hepatitis, died in a Moscow medical center on March 27.

Deputy minister: Over 80% of schoolchildren have access to distance learning in Armenia

Hambik Zargarian
Panorama, Armenia
April 7 2020

Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport cooperates with regional TV companies, as a result of which video classes are also available on regional TV stations, ensuring greater participation amid the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, a deputy minister told a news conference on Tuesday.

According to Zhanna Andreasyan, this is a key achievement because, according to the data received from the Armenian regions and Yerevan, certain groups of school students and teachers have no devices to join distance learning.

“We are short of at least 24,000 devices; the data may need additional clarification, but it has been collected at first hand. I think that the video classes and the content we create and make accessible under such conditions ensures the involvement of people, if they lack devices,” the deputy minister said.

Zhanna Andreasyan says that they have already collected 600 devices, including computers, tablets and smartphones, mostly new ones, and have provided them to the provinces together with SIM cards. Some organizations, as well as individuals have donated devices to the ministry, she said.

According to the official, an electronic class register has been launched since March 26, with the education authorities monitoring the distance learning process in separate schools and the work of teachers. According to him, 80% of teachers are already registered there.

According to the information provided by the regions, more than 80% of schoolchildren have access to distance learning, Andreasyan said.

He noted that the ministry cooperates with telecommunications operators and has reached an agreement on an affordable tariff for educational services.

“These services have already been provided by VivaCell-MTS. They will be available for Beeline and Ucom subscribers in the near future,” she said.    

Aurora donates $120,000 to Armenia’s Covid-19 efforts

Kanayan Tamar
PanArmenian, Armenia
April 7 2020

April 7, 2020 – 14:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The #AraratChallenge movement launched by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has made a $120,000 donation to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia to buy lung ventilation devices.

“This is truly an outstanding act of support and humanity on behalf of Aurora. As soon as the pandemic broke out, all healthcare systems in the world including Armenia were forced to mobilize quickly and use whatever resources they had to make sure people get access to treatment in a timely manner,” said Arsen Torosyan, Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia.

“Our nation’s response to the health crisis has been adequate. However, the importance of proper equipment could not be overemphasized, and we are very grateful to the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative””

Earlier, the Initiative has released a statement reflecting its concern with the current outbreak of COVID-19 and detailing Aurora’s intention to help fight the pandemic and assist the world in dealing with this crisis. To that end, the Initiative has pledged to direct part of the funds raised with the #AraratChallenge campaign to support Armenian health professionals on the front lines with ten lung ventilation devices. Based on the donation agreement, at least one of the acquired devices will be transferred to one of the hospitals in Artsakh.

Armenia’s third president to participate in hearings of NA Committee

Emil Lazarian
Aysor, Armenia
April 7 2020

Armenia’s third president Serzh Sargsyan will participate in the April 16 hearing of NA Standing Committee. The office of the third president sent corresponding notification to the chairman of the NA’s Defense and Security Affairs Standing Committee, saying that the president would participate in the hearing though by the law he is not obliged to participate in the session and brief on the Azerbaijani aggression in April 2016.

The office of the third president asked to clarify whether the session is being recorded, typed and archived properly or not and will request a copy of such recording. If not the office requested to allow opportunity of recording the session.

“It is also strange that in the conditions of the pandemic the NA Committee decided to conduct a session. Nevertheless, if the government does not extend the state of emergency Armenia’s third president is ready to attend the session on April 16, at 2pm,” the office said in response.

Serzh Sargsyan to attend parliamentary hearings on 2016 April War

Nahapetian Zhanna
Panorama, Armenia
April 7 2020

Armenia’s third President Serzh Sargsyan has agreed to take part in the special parliamentary hearings on the 2016 April War.

The ex-president received an invitation to take part in the hearings set for April 16 from Andranik Kocharyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defense and Security, on 6 April.

“Although it’s strange that the parliamentary committee has decided to hold a sitting given the situation caused by the [coronavirus] pandemic, the third president of Armenia is ready to visit the committee on April 16, at 2pm, in case the Armenian government does not make a decision to extend the state of emergency,” Serzh Sargsyan’s office said in an official response to the invitation.

The office stressed although the former president is not obliged by law to attend the hearings of the committee, he feels free to present the details of the hostilities unleashed by Azerbaijan in 2016, especially when he has made numerous public remarks on the April War, including speeches, interviews, consultations in participation of the president, meetings and session, which covered the events in detail.

The ex-president’s office also demanded that Serzh Sargsyan be provided with a copy of the recording following the hearings. 


Georgian journalist offends Armenians

Ani Basmajian
News.am, Armenia
April 7 2020

23:34, 07.04.2020
                  

Journalist for Georgia’s Mtavari Arkhi TV Giorgi Gabunia has offended Armenians. As reports Vzglyad, he said the genetic code of Georgians is fighting against the coronavirus well, after which he added that, in this sense, he is waiting for Armenian scientists’ statements.

“What really interests me is the genetic group of our neighbors. I’m certain that their DNA is stronger than the Georgians’ DNA and will destroy the coronavirus, and they won’t need a vaccine or medicinal substance,” the TV journalist said.

The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics has criticized the TV journalist. During a conversation with Vzglyad, well-known Georgian analyst Petre Mamradze declared that lawyers need to deal with such statements. “This isn’t the first time Gabunia is making pathological statements. Last year, he offended all normal people in Georgia. According to Georgian legislation, this is viewed as incitement of hatred towards the nation,” Mamradze said.

The analyst believes this is not only inacceptable and immoral, but should also spark an adequate response.

PM on a new weapon being produced in Armenia

Ekmekjian Janet
News.am, Armenia
April 7 2020

23:49, 06.04.2020
                 

I would like to hint a novelty that is actually a secret. This is what Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said while answering citizens’ questions today.

“A few days ago, I was shown a sample of a product of Armenia’s military industrial complex, the existence of which serves as evidence of the fact that the military industrial complex in Armenia is at a new level. The major feature of that product is not only the fact that it is state-of-the-art, but also the fact that it was compiled in Armenia. The existence of this product goes to show that Armenia has professionals who can create a military product from scratch. We agreed to make efforts to make sure the product is presented in the international market. Just three days ago, I saw something that was even a little hard to believe,” Pashinyan said, congratulated everyone on this occasion and added that it is a sample that has already been tested.