Category: 2020

Armenian President signs into law location data bill for contact tracing of coronavirus cases

Ani Basmajian

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 09:44, 1 April, 2020

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian has signed into law the bill on authorizing authorities to use mobile location data for contact tracing of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

“The temporary restrictions of individual fundamental liberties and rights of people stipulated in the Constitutional is unavoidable during emergencies. It stems from public interest, as well as the necessity of preserving human life and health – the highest human right of anyone,” Sarkissian’s office said.

“This difficult situation requires unity, and support to the authorities”, it added.

“The President has signed into law the bill adopted by parliament on amending the law on The Legal Regime of the State of Emergency and the law on Electronic Communication. Although the laws envisage significant restrictions of human rights, the president has signed them taking into account that these restrictions will be applied by the government only as exclusive measures and exclusively during state of emergency. Therefore, the main precondition and the only goal of using these laws must be saving lives and preserving public health,” the statement said, adding that the authorities must apply the laws with “utmost responsibility”.

The bill was initially turned down in parliament on March 31, but hours later the parliament held another session and approved it.

 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




89-year old coronavirus-infected citizen dies in Armenia

Chakrian Hovsep

89-yera old coronavirus-infected citizen dies in Armenia

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 20:03, 1 April, 2020

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. Alina Nikoghosyan, the spokesperson of the Health Minister of Armenia informed that a death has been registered in Nork Infectious Clinical Hospital.

”Death has been registered at Nork Infectious Clinical Hospital. The 89-year old patient was tested positive for coronavirus and had confirmed double pneumonia. In addition, the citizen had concomitant chronic diseases, including arterial hypertension, diabetes. Unfortunately, due to the age and the concomitant diseases, it was impossible to save his life”, ARMENPRESS reports Nikoghosyan wrote on her Facebook page.

In Armenia, the number of confirmed cases has reached 571 as of April 1. 31 have recovered. This is the 4th coronavirus-related death in Armenia.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Asbarez: Reflecting on Nearly 15 Years of Service on Glendale Community College Board

Hagop Kamalian
April 1, 2020

Dr. Vahe Peroomian (center) presents State Senator Anthony Portantino with a photograph of Dzidzernagapert, which he took, as appreciation for the senator spearheading the passage of measure allowing GCC to close on April 24.

BY DR. VAHE PEROOMIAN

My nearly 15 years of service on the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees came to an end on March 31, as I chose to bring a long and eventful chapter of my life to a close. It’s been quite a journey… When I was appointed to the Board in June 2005 to fill the vacancy created by Ara Najarian’s election to the Glendale City Council, I had had only the incidental contact with the College, but hoped to bring my experience in higher education to steer the college forward in the first decade of the 21st Century. A lot has happened since 2005, but allow me to reminisce on some of the highlights of what we’ve accomplished as a Board during that time, and reflect on the future of an institution that has occupied a significant portion of my thoughts and efforts in our community.

As I began my service on the Board, the College still had plenty of unspent funds from the Measure G bond passed by the citizens of Glendale in 2002. It became apparent in September 2005, at the most contentious meeting the Board has had during my tenure, that spending these funds was the continuation of a turf battle that would shape the future of the College. Should we allocate the remaining funds to a behemoth of a building designed to bring all vital college services under one roof, or should we expand our offerings at Garfield Campus, then but an oft-neglected stepchild of the College, by adding a new building there? In the end, Victor King, Dr. Armine Hacopian, and myself voted for Garfield. Then, as now, a significant fraction of students at our Garfield Campus were Armenian and over 30 years of age, taking English as a second language and computer training courses to enter the workforce. Fifteen years on, Garfield Campus is a shining example of our commitment to educating everyone in our community.

The Glendale Community College Board from left: Sune Aghazarian, Dr. Armine Hacopian, Yvette Davis, Tony Tartaglia, Dr. Vahe Peroomian, Anne Ransford and Dr. David Viar

A little over a decade ago, the College found itself in turmoil due to the departure of its longtime Superintendent/President, Dr. John Davitt, and the hiring of a replacement that turned out to be much better on paper than in practice. The only silver lining in this experience turned out to be a push towards diversity in the ranks of the college faculty and administration, an initiative that continues to this day, led by Dr. David Viar, whose hiring is still one of the best decisions the Board has made in the last fifteen years.

Just in the last year, sparked by a suggestion from Dr. Armine Hacopian, my colleague on the Board, and due to the tireless legislative efforts of State Senator Anthony Portantino, the College has received permission to close its doors on April 24 each year in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. Without legislative action, the cost of doing so would be prohibitive. No longer do our students have to contend with exams or assignments scheduled on that day. The campus will be closed, and the campus community will commemorate Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

Far from being singularly aimed at benefiting Armenian students, faculty, and staff at the College, many of my contributions during the last decade and a half have been toward making the College more accessible to every aspiring student and more directed toward student success. Several years ago, the Board learned that it was nearly impossible for a student to complete all of the necessary classes for transferring to four-year universities in two years. In fact, the average time spent at GCC for transfer-minded students was more than four years. Now, with emphasis on career pathways and extensive retooling of the course schedule, students routinely transfer within two years of enrolling at the college, my own daughter, Tara, an example of this. This endeavor has earned GCC the #1 rank in transfers to four-year universities among colleges in the Los Angeles Area. In fact, our College is among the top three in nearly every category of student success measured by the State Chancellor’s office.

Another initiative, and one that is ongoing, is to address the declining enrollment at the College, a continuous concern during the last decade. Students from Burbank, Glendale, and La Crescenta routinely bypass GCC and to other nearby colleges, mainly because of the reputation GCC has earned for being a “tough” school. Too many students think that courses at GCC are more difficult than those at Pasadena or LA Valley College, and too many high school seniors are infected with this notion before even taking a course at GCC. Too many of our instructors have an undeserved reputation of being unreasonably tough. This is one challenge that I will leave for my colleagues who remain on the Board and the new members that join them. The challenge GCC faces in the next decade is really one of reputation. We will succeed in this endeavor if and when our students tell stories not of failure, but of the incredible knowledge they gained from our world-class instructors and the incredible experience they had at GCC. This is our 21st Century challenge, one that requires everyone not only at GCC, but the Glendale community at large, to step up to.

I thank my colleagues on the Board, past and present, and the Superintendent/Presidents of the College that I had the honor of serving with and learning from. I sincerely thank the Glendale community for reelecting me to the Board on three occasions. Perhaps more importantly, I thank my wife, Carolyn, for the incredible support I’ve received through the years, and my children, Tara, Tadeh, and Sienna, for their understanding and support. In the last 15 years, the College has become one of the crown jewels of our Jewel City, has been voted the #2 most beautiful college campus in the U.S., made significant improvements to infrastructure and facilities, and has improved student access and success by leaps and bounds. Having done my duty, I proudly pass the torch of office to my colleagues and assure you that GCC will continue to be in my thoughts even as my tenure on the Board comes to an end.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 04/01/2020

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Armenian Gas Operator Seeks Gas Price Rise
        • Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - The Gazprom Armenia headquarters in Yerevan, 31Oct2014.
Armenia’s national gas distribution company owned by Russia’s Gazprom giant on 
Wednesday asked public utility regulators to raise its retail prices set for 
households and corporate consumers.
“The [Gazprom Armenia] company wants an 11 percent increase in the existing 
average tariff,” Garegin Baghramian, the chairman of the Public Services 
Regulatory Commission (PSRC), told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
According to a Gazprom Armenia application publicized later in the day, the 
company is seeking a more than 16 percent increase in the gas price set for 
manufacturing and agricultural firms. At the same time it is ready to slightly 
cut the price for the majority of households, which currently stands at an 
equivalent of $290 per thousand cubic meters. Still, it wants to scrap a sizable 
price discount enjoyed by low-income families.
Under Armenian law, the PSRC has to make a decision on the requested tariff 
revision within the next 80 days.
The cost of Russian gas supplied to Armenian consumers remained unchanged after 
Gazprom raised its wholesale price for Armenia from $150 to $165 per thousand 
cubic meters in January 2019. This translated into additional major expenses for 
Gazprom Armenia, which already reported growing financial losses in the course 
of 2018.
Baghramian acknowledged that the gas distribution network has reason to seek 
price rises given the extra costs incurred by it. But he said this will no 
longer be the case if Gazprom lowers the wholesale price of Russian gas for 
Armenia.
The Armenian government requested such a price reduction on Tuesday in apparent 
anticipation of the application filed by Gazprom’s Armenian subsidiary.
In a letter to Gazprom Chairman Alexei Miller, Deputy Prime Minister Mher 
Grigorian argued that international oil prices, which greatly determine the cost 
of natural gas, have fallen sharply over the past month. Grigorian also said 
that economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic will significantly 
reduce energy consumption levels in Armenia unless they are offset by a lower 
gas price.
Phone Tracking Needed To Fight Coronavirus, Insists Armenian Government
        • Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia -- Justice Minister Rustam Badasian at a news conference in Yerevan, 
April 1, 2020.
The Armenian government continued to defend on Wednesday its controversial 
decision to use personal data from people’s mobile phones to fight against the 
coronavirus epidemic.
Justice Minister Rustam Badasian reiterated government assurances that the 
extraordinary measure will not infringe on citizens’ privacy and civil rights or 
be used for eavesdropping on opposition figures.
“It’s only about a state of emergency declared as a result of an epidemic,” he 
told a news conference. “That is, in case of a state of emergency declared on 
any other grounds there will be no such interference in citizens’ rights and 
liberties.”
Badasian insisted that access to mobile phone location and usage data will help 
the Armenian authorities to better contain the spread of the virus. They will 
find it easier to trace people who have come into contact with those infected 
with the disease, he said.
The circle of such people is to be determined by an automated system. If it 
turns out that they not only received phone calls or messages from infected 
persons but also were in close proximity with the latter, they will be contacted 
by officials and possibly placed in quarantine or self-isolation.
“If, for example, I am a virus carrier who phoned [from Yerevan] the same person 
in Gyumri 10 or 20 times, that alone will not be deemed a risk factor,” 
explained Badasian. “But if I phoned another person even once and our locations 
matched … an official from the Ministry of Emergency Situations will make a 
phone call, ascertain additional details and make a decision based on that.”
The government hastily pushed a relevant bill through the Armenian parliament 
late on Tuesday amid strong objections from opposition lawmakers. They voiced 
concerns about privacy violations and cast doubt on the effectiveness of 
smartphone tracking. Some civic activists have echoed those concerns.
Badasian again dismissed them, saying that the authorities will not have access 
to, let alone publicize, the content of any phone conversations or text 
messages. Only a handful of government specialists will be processing phone 
data, he said, adding that they all will sign non-disclosure pledges.
The minister also argued that the bill, which President Armen Sarkissian swiftly 
signed into a law, requires the authorities to delete all data after the 
coronavirus-related state of emergency ends in Armenia.
Shushan Doydoyan of the Yerevan-based Center for Freedom of Information, 
countered, however, that the data has to be deleted only within one month after 
the end of emergency rule. “What will they be doing with that data for one 
month?” she said.
More Travel Restrictions Imposed In Armenia
        • Gayane Saribekian
        • Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia -- Police officers enforcing a coronavirus lockdown check cars leaving 
Yerevan, April 1, 2020.
Authorities suspended public transport in Yerevan and set up roadblocks across 
Armenia on Wednesday as they stepped up their efforts to slow the spread of 
coronavirus.
An Armenian government task force coordinating those efforts announced the new 
travel restrictions after extending on Tuesday existing curbs on people’s 
movement and the closure of most businesses in the country by at least ten days.
The Armenian Ministry of Health said on Wednesday morning that the number of 
registered coronavirus cases rose by 39 to 571 in the past 24 hours. The 
ministry had reported slightly faster rises in COVID-19 infections in previous 
days.
Health Minister Arsen Torosian expressed concern over these infection rates late 
on Tuesday. He said that if they do not fall in the comings days Armenia will 
have as many as 2,000 coronavirus cases by April 14. This would overwhelm the 
national healthcare system increasingly struggling to contain the epidemic, he 
said.
“If this pace persists and [the coronavirus curve] does not become flat like in 
South Korea we will be forced to treat [COVID-19] patients with mild or no 
symptoms at home,” warned Torosian.
Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian, who heads the coronavirus task force, said 
for his part that by toughening the nationwide lockdown the government hopes to 
cause the epidemic to recede in the second of April.
In line with the new restrictions, all subway and bus services in Yerevan were 
suspended on Thursday morning. Only taxis will be allowed to transport people 
until April 12.
Armenia -- A woman stands outside a closed metro station in Yerevan, April 1, 
2020.
People also can move around in their or their family members’ or co-workers’ 
cars. But they must prove, including with documents signed by their employers, 
that they left their homes for work or other urgent needs.
Early in the afternoon, police and other security agencies set up checkpoints on 
highway sections just outside Yerevan and other Armenian cities and towns. They 
checked every vehicle leaving or entering those communities.
Bus services between the Armenian capital and the rest of the country were 
already halted last week.
Many of the remaining commuters in Yerevan were not happy with the temporary ban 
on public transport. They argued that they have to go to work and cannot afford 
taxis on a daily basis.
“I work in a hospital and also provide home care to a sick person,” said Liana 
Babayan, a healthcare worker. “Working people should be able to use public 
transport. Let them just show their documents or have their temperature checked.”
“I now have to go to work on foot,” complained another resident. “My workplace 
is far away from my home.”
Karabakh’s Presidential Vote To Go Into Runoff
Nagorno-Karabakh -- A polling station in Stepanakert, .
Ara Harutiunian, a businessman and former prime minister, won the first round of 
a presidential election in Nagorno-Karabakh and will face another candidate, 
Masis Mayilian, in a runoff two weeks later, according to preliminary vote 
results released on Wednesday.
The official results also show Harutiunian’s party winning the largest number of 
seats in Karabakh’s next parliament also elected on Tuesday.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) said more than 73 percent of Karabakh’s 
104,300 eligible cast ballots in the polls strongly condemned by Azerbaijan.
The turnout was high despite concerns about the spread of coronavirus in the 
Armenian-populated territory that broke away from Azerbaijani rule in 1991. The 
authorities in Stepanakert have registered no coronavirus cases so far.
According to the CEC, Harutiunian garnered 49.3 percent of the vote, narrowly 
missing the threshold for winning the presidential ballot outright. Mayilian 
came in second with 26.4 percent of the vote, followed by retired General Vitaly 
Balasanian, who got 14.7 percent. The 11 other presidential candidates fared far 
more poorly.
Also, Harutiunian’s Free Fatherland party won over 40 percent of the vote and 
will therefore have the largest group in the new local legislature.
Armenia - Ara Harutiunian speaks to RFE/RL in Yerevan, May 31, 2019.
The United Homeland party of Samvel Babayan, another retired general, finished 
second with 23.6 percent of the vote. Babayan had led Karabakh’s Armenian-backed 
army during and after the 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan.
Also winning parliament seats were three other Karabakh parties: Balasanian’s 
Justice (7.9 percent), the Karabakh branch of the Armenian Revolutionary 
Federation (6.4 percent) and the Democratic Party (5.8 percent). The latter is 
led by Ashot Ghulian, the outgoing parliament speaker.
None of the presidential candidates was openly backed during the election 
campaign by Bako Sahakian, the outgoing Karabakh president, or Armenia’s 
political leadership. Both frontrunners as well as Balasanian used to hold major 
positions in Sahakian’s administration.
Balasanian has been a bitter critic of the current Armenian government and Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian in particular ever since he resigned as Karabakh’s top 
security official last year. Pashinian’s political allies have accused the 
general of maintaining close ties with Armenia’s former leadership overthrown in 
the 2018 “Velvet Revolution.”
Harutiunian has a much more cordial relationship with the Pashinian government. 
The 46-year-old served as Karabakh’s prime minister from 2007-2017. He has 
extensive business interests in the territory.
For his part, Mayilian was appointed as foreign minister in 2017. He went on 
leave late last year to concentrate on the elections.
Armenia -- Masis Mayilian, 27Mar2020.
Azerbaijan has always condemned elections held in Karabakh as illegitimate. The 
Foreign Ministry in Baku said on Tuesday that the latest polls also run counter 
to Azerbaijani and international law and that Karabakh is governed by an 
“illegal regime installed by Armenia.”
U.S., Russian and French diplomats co-heading the OSCE Minsk Group said that 
Karabakh is not recognized as an independent state by the international 
community and “the so-called general elections” cannot predetermine the outcome 
of Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks mediated by them.
By contrast, Armenia defended the holding of the elections. It cited a 1992 OSCE 
document saying that “elected representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh” should also 
participate in the peace process.
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.

My Step Alliance: Elections in Karabakh can be assessed positively

Emil Lazarian
News.am, Armenia
April 1 2020

16:50, 01.04.2020
                  

Overall, we positively assess the results of the elections held in Karabakh. This is what head of the delegation of observers from the National Assembly of Armenia, deputy parliamentary speaker Alen Simonyan declared during a joint press conference held in Stepanakert today.

Simonyan particularly emphasized the rather high voter turnout, in spite of the previous assumptions that there will be a low voter turnout due to the threat of the spread of the coronavirus.

He also voiced hope that the second stage of the presidential elections will be held in a more organized manner and that the coronavirus situation won’t have an impact on the course of the elections.

The Central Electoral Commission of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has officially released the preliminary results of the presidential elections held on March 31. Based on the results, none of the candidates garnered more than 50% of the votes, and a second stage has to be held on April 14.

The top three candidates are Arayik Harutyunyan (36,076 votes or 49.26%), Masis Mayilyan (19,360 votes or 26.4%) and Vitaly Balasanyan (10,755 votes or 14.7%).

Armenian, Israeli specialists to hold video conference devoted to COVID-19

Alex Nanijanian
News.am, Armenia
April 1 2020

17:13, 01.04.2020
                  

In accordance with the agreement reached during phone talks with President of Israel Reuven Rivlin on March 22, President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian today held phone talks with Director of the International Relations Division at the Ministry of Health of Israel, Israel’s coordinator for COVID-19, Dr. Asher Shalmon.

Dr. Shalmon provided details about the steps that Israel has taken to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.

During the phone talks, the parties discussed Israel’s possible assistance to Armenia and specified Armenia’s needs.

President Sarkissian and Dr. Shalmon agreed that Armenia and Israel will soon organize a video conference for specialists from both countries to specify concrete directions for future cooperation and take actions.

During the phone talks, President Sarkissian also touched upon the steps that are being taken for development of medical engineering in Armenia and the possible cooperation with Israel in this sector.

Armenia Ombudsman congratulates Assyrian community on occasion of Kha b-Nisan

Chakhmakhchian Vatche
News.am, Armenia
April 1 2020

16:57, 01.04.2020
                  

Armenia’s Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan has sent a congratulatory message to the representatives of the country’s Assyrian community on the occasion of the Assyrian New Year (Kha b-Nisan).

The congratulatory message reads as follows:

“Dear representatives of the Assyrian community in Armenia,

I congratulate you all on the occasion of Assyrian New Year (Kha b-Nisan).

May this ancient holiday, which symbolizes the rebirth of nature, bring peace and welfare to the friendly Assyrian people.

As Human Rights Defender, I believe it is important that the national minorities residing in Armenia have the opportunity to preserve and enhance their national values and traditions and make their dignified contributions to the development of Armenia.”


Armenia joins EU sanctions mechanism against Turkey

Ophelia Vardapetian
Panorama, Armenia
April 1 2020

Armenia along with four countries has joined the sanctions mechanism against Turkey for illegal exploration work on the Cyprus shelf in the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus, the EU council said in a released statement.

“The countries that are candidates for accession to the EU, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania, as well as Iceland, a member of the European Economic Area, as well as Armenia have joined this decision”, the statement said. The document notes that now the mentioned countries will have to coordinate their policies with Council Decision concerning restrictive measures in view of Turkey’s unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it,” the statement said.

The mechanism, approved by the European Union in November last year, allows sanctions to be imposed on individuals and companies responsible for drilling activities related to the exploration of carbon resources, which are not authorized by Cyprus, in its territorial waters, the exclusive economic zone or on the continental shelf. In addition, individuals and companies that provide financial support for these activities of Turkey may be sanctioned.

Armenia President holding remote conversations with Armenian scholars, scientists and cultural figures

Nahapetian Samvel
News.am, Armenia
April 1 2020

18:22, 01.04.2020
                  

President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has undertaken the initiative to host a series of remote conversations with the heads of Armenia’s cultural, scientific, educational and academic institutions and cultural figures in order to encourage them and become familiar with their activities during the state of emergency and future plans.

In this context, Armen Sarkissian had a phone conversation with Director of the National Museum-Institute of Architecture Mark Grigorian.

President Sarkissian asked Grigorian about the state of the museum, emphasized the unique role of Armenian architecture in the art of world architecture and promised to visit the museum after the end of the spread of the novel coronavirus and the state of emergency.

President Sarkissian also had a phone conversation with artistic director and principal conductor of the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra Eduard Topchyan.

The President asked about the Orchestra’s activities during the state of emergency and the fate of the previously scheduled concerts. Topchyan informed that the Orchestra’s concerts have been postponed and that he currently communicates with music lovers online. President Sarkissian stated that there might be cooperation between the Staff of the President and the Orchestra after the end of the state of emergency in Armenia.

Coronavirus: Armenia’s response to COVID-19

Hagop Kamalian

April 1 2020
Coronavirus: Armenia’s response to COVID-19

An overview of how Armenia is responding to the coronavirus emergency: from the experience of those in quarantine to the measures taken by the government

01/04/2020 –  Armine Avetisyan Yerevan

 

Armenia-Italy-Portugal-Greece-Armenia. This was Arpi Bekaryan’s itinerary for a trip with friends a few weeks ago. Coming back to Yerevan around two weeks later, Arpi did not even get the chance to go home – at the request of the Armenian government, she was immediately transferred to a building in the resort town of Tsakhkadzor, which has been repurposed for quarantine. 

“Early in the morning we landed at Zvartnots International Airport from Athens. Outside of the airplane window it looked like a sci-fi movie: two ambulances and several doctors in masks standing in front of the plane. We didn’t even get inside the airport. Before opening the airplane doors, our names were called out and we were asked to disembark while all the other passengers waited until we had gone. Before coming back, we had already decided to self-isolate for 14 days after returning to Armenia and not even see our families”, Arpi says.

The government, however, took charge of the quarantine process – something which Arpi learned only at the airport. There she was greeted by the staff of Armenia’s Health and Labour Inspectorate, who checked her temperature, filled out a personal information form and, wishing her good health, saw her off to Tsakhkadzor.

“We were quickly accommodated in two ambulances: once again they filled out our personal data and took us to the quarantine area. They take care of us so well here that we even feel bad for that. They knock on the door every 15-20 minutes to ask what we need, what they can bring for us. We have everything here: coffee, tea, fruit, hairdryer, and slippers.

Arpi notes that at first the food issue was a little complicated as she is a vegetarian. Several times she had to send back food with meat, but then the issue was resolved.

The Armenian government has taken care of the quarantine of hundreds of citizens like Arpi. One of them is Biayna Mahari, whose Italian holiday also ended with quarantine. She returned to Armenia on a special flight from Italy organised by the government on March 16th. The government also arranged for Armenian citizens in different parts of Italy to be transported to Rome on special buses, so that they would not face any potential health hazards on the way.

“It is very important to say a big thank you to the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Armenia in Italy. It is incredible to feel that your country is standing with you and when they constantly call you to understand how they can help, when they respond to emails within one hour and, most touching – send care packages in lovely bags with masks, gloves, and food. At the empty airport in Rome all the flights were cancelled and only in front of Yerevan’s the number of the gate was proudly written. There is nobody in the whole airport, and still you are greeted at the entrance and everything is explained to you… and so many other little things that you can imagine someone sitting in their workplace and setting these nice little details everywhere along the way for you to feel better”, Biayna wrote on her Facebook page upon her return to Armenia.

All the passengers were quarantined. Armenia also repatriated citizens from a number of other countries by special flights and routes.

All those in isolation live in comfortable conditions, receive good quality food, and all their needs are met. After 14 days in quarantine they undergo coronavirus testing: if the results are negative, they are sent home, and if the result is positive, they are transferred to hospitals that have been rapidly restructured and are ready to treat patients.

There are currently 532 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Armenia, including 30 recoveries and 3 deaths.

A state of emergency was declared on March 16th and will last one month.

An office led by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan has been set up to coordinate the management of the forces and resources enforcing the state of emergency.

It is currently forbidden to organise, hold, and participate in gatherings, strikes, and public events including concerts, exhibitions, and theatrical performances with the participation of 20 or more people; sports, cultural, or educational events which include but are not limited to celebrations and commemorations, birthdays, weddings, engagements, funerals, and other events as instructed by the Deputy Prime Minister.

From 10 to 12, only the elderly can visit grocery stores. Education is conducted via distance learning, including online classes. Most state employees are also teleworking. Interregional transport is off, and urban transportation vehicles are disinfected every day. Thousands of enterprises are closed, with the exception of grocery stores, pharmacies, and banks. The government has assured that there is no food deficit.

Steps are also being taken to provide state aid to enterprises. On March 26th, the government allocated 150 billion drams (around 275 million Euros) in measures to mitigate the economic impact of coronavirus.

Salaries, pensions, and benefits will be paid on time. Thousands of families receive free food through various social assistance programmes by both the state and the private sector. Most operating banks and credit organisations have announced a credit freeze.