Category: 2020

 15:46,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliament passed at first reading the government-authored bill on allowing authorities to use mobile location data of citizens to trace direct contacts of confirmed novel coronavirus cases.

The bill passed with 57 votes in favor, 27 against and 1 present.

The mechanism does not foresee any surveillance on the content of calls or messages, according to the authors.

The mechanism will be introduced only during pandemic-related state of emergencies and all collected data will be deleted afterwards.

The ruling My Step faction said it has some recommendations to the government ahead of the second reading.

The opposition parties strongly disapproved the bill and voted against.

Arman Babajanyan, an independent lawmaker, also voted against, citing “very serious reservations and disagreements” of the Human Rights Defender, with whom he has discussed the issue.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:37,

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan sent a condolence letter to the family of prominent French political figure of Armenian origin Patrick Devedjian, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The letter runs as follows:

“We have learnt with deep sorrow in Artsakh about the death of prominent French political figure of Armenian origin, great patriot Patrick Devedjian.

He has made an invaluable contribution to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the defense of the Armenian Cause, contributing in every possible way to the preservation of the Armenian national identity in the Diaspora, the development of ties with Artsakh and the resolution of national issues.

Patrick Devedjian’s death is a huge loss for all of us.

On behalf of the Artsakh people, authorities and myself personally I extend my deepest condolences and support to all the relatives and friends of the deceased, and wish them endurance and tenacity”.

 13:00,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. During today’s Cabinet meeting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan extended condolences to the families of those persons who died from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Touching upon the two death cases the PM said the two patients had had other very heavy chronic diseases. “One of them suffered from ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension. The second one also had an ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension, consequences from myocardial infarction and stroke. These kind of citizens require special attention in order not to get infected because they appear in a very great risk”, the PM said.

According to the latest data, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Armenia has reached 482.

30 patients have recovered.

So far, 3 death cases have been reported in the country.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 12:43,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. “Dozens” of quarantined or self-quarantined servicemen are returning to active duty, Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan said at the Cabinet meeting referring to the direct contacts of the 5 confirmed coronavirus cases in the military.

He said the military doesn’t have problems associated with the coronavirus.

Speaking about the five hospitalized soldiers, Tonoyan said they are all asymptomatic while only one has mild fever.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 13:04,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Young people who are heavy smokers are facing a potentially fatal outcome in the event of contracting the novel coronavirus, Armenia’s healthcare minister Arsen Torosyan has warned.

He was speaking at the Cabinet meeting in response to PM Nikol Pashinyan’s question on the global death rate from the virus and if rumors on young fatalties are true.

Torosyan said the statistics varies from country to country, depending on the given country’s lifestyle. “For example, if we were to have a 30-year-old patient who smokes 3 packs of cigarettes a day, then we will potentially be unable to save this patient, and we will have a young fatality,” he said.

Speaking about the statistics in neighboring countries, Torosyan that they have unconfirmed reports that in one of the neighboring countries there are a large number of patients below the age of 40 who are on ventilation devices. “We must clarify the health condition of these patients. If it’s what I was talking about, meaning they lead an unhealthy lifestyle, then they are potentially at-risk,” Torosyan said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 13:11,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The government approved another anti-crisis measure aimed at eliminating the economic consequences of the COVID19 pandemic, affirming a relief package that will support people who lost their jobs due to the situation.

Citizens who have become unemployed because of the crisis (from March 13 to 25) will receive a lump sum assistance in the size of the minimum wage.

Those benefiting from a previously announced assistance package are not eligible for this program.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 13:16,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The government of Armenia has approved a new coronavirus relief package that will provide assistance to pregnant women.

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Zaruhi Batoyan said at the Cabinet meeting that pregnant women who are unemployed as of and whose spouse has lost his job in the period from March 13th to are eligible for the assistance program.

Those eligible will receive a 100,000-dram single payment in assistance.

PM Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that pregnant women are also eligible to simultaneously benefit from other assistance programs.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 13:46,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. 1 out of the 58 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Armenia has been registered in the Armed Forces, Healthcare Minister Arsen Torosyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan asked whether the cases in the Army are included in today’s number of infected people, the minister responded: “Yes, one case”.

Earlier 5 soldiers of the Armenian Army tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). Currently, the total number of servicemen infected with COVID-19 is 6.

None of the servicemen has pneumonia and coronavirus symptoms. Only one soldier has mild fever.

Defense ministry’s spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan informed that the new soldier, who tested positive for coronavirus, has been quarantined from the very start.

The 6 confirmed cases are connected with the first case that was confirmed in a non-combat military base.

The soldier is hospitalized and is in satisfactory condition.

No new soldiers have been quarantined.

Many quarantined Armenia servicemen return to active duty after testing negative for COVID19

58 more cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in Armenia today, bring the total number of infected people to 482.

30 patients have recovered.

So far, 3 death cases have been reported.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 14:33,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Number of people infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Iran has increased by 3,186 as of March 30, the Armenian Embassy in Iran presented the latest updates.

As of now, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Iran is 41,495.

Death toll is 2,757. 117 deaths were reported in one day.

So far, 13,911 patients have recovered in Iran.

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global pandemic and named the virus COVID-19. Cases of coronavirus have been reported in over 195 countries.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 13:42,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliament is debating a government-backed bill seeking to ban autopsies of coronavirus fatalities.

Deputy Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan told lawmakers that the current autopsy services in the country are not equipped with necessary conditions and standards to carry out the procedure on the COVID19 fatalities. She said that because the level of contagiousness of the disease isn’t fully studied yet, and moreover it is still unknown for how long the disease remains active in a corpse, performing autopsy may cause severe consequences and increase the spread.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan