Category: 2020

Armenian sports legend Shavarsh Karapetyan appointed Adviser to the Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia

Armenian sports legend Shavarsh Karapetyan has been appointed Adviser to the Head of the Republic of Bashkortosta Radiy Khabirov, Bashinform reports.

Karapetyan will work on voluntary basis and will advise Radiy Khabirov on issues of development of physical education and sports in the region.

Born in Armenia’s third largest city of Kirovakan (now Vanadzor), Shavarsh Karapetyan moved to Yerevan with the family in 1964. He started swimming at a young age, and later switched to finswimming.

Karapetyan is a Merited Master of Sports of the USSR and a ten-time World Record-breaker in finswimming.

He became well known across Armenia and the former Soviet Union after rescuing 20 people from drowning in 1976, which cost the world champion in his health and further achievements in a brilliant athletic career.

As a trolleybus entered a bridge in central Yerevan, the trolleybus veered off course and rolled downhill into a water reservoir, known as Yerevan Lake. The noise of the crash drew the attention of athletes practicing nearby, 23-year-old finswimming champion Shavarash Karapetyan among them. 

Without giving it much thought, Shavarsh jumped into the water, ordering his brother Kamo, another swimming champion, to help him from the shore. 

Savarsh pulled 37 people out of the lake, and nine others escaped on their own through the broken window. The rescue operation was set up in a matter of minutes. Doctors who arrived from a nearby hospital treated the victims right on the shore. Unfortunately, only 20 of those Shavarsh rescued could be saved. 

 Karapetyan was hospitalized along with victims of the accident. Septic fever, double-sided pneumonia and nervous prostration had doctors fighting for his life for over a month. When he was finally discharged, Shavarsh went right back to practice, but swimming underwater echoed painfully in his lungs. Yet the athlete refused to retire without one more medal.  

During the next championship he swam in a haze as his brother Kamo ran along the pool, ready to jump in should Shavarsh suddenly lose consciousness. But Shavarsh came in first and set another world record, without realizing it at the time.

Armenia’s operators are ready for larger internet traffic

Arbi Tashjian
iTel.am, Armenia

Itel.am has contacted Armenia’s operator with the request to share details about their work during the state of emergency. Ucom has yet to reply to our request, and the responses from other operators are presented below.

Viva-MTS

Viva-MTS mobile network operates uninterrupted, and voice and data transfer services are provided as usual. The monitoring of continuous operation of the mobile network is conducted in a stricter manner and corresponding staff work in shifts.

The capacity of the network allows Viva-MTS to serve larger volume of data transfers.

Since March 16, Viva-MTS has registered no substantial increase in mobile internet usage. The reason is that 4G network is being consistently modernized and the fact that the company’s tariff plans offer a comprehensive package of voice and internet services.


The subscribers of tariff plans X, Y, Z, who usually use internet the most, have unlimited internet for Viber, Whatsapp, Messenger, Zangi, Telegram, Instagram, Netflix, Snapchat, which means they can use these apps without spending MBs included in the plan.

Beeline

Beeline Armenia prepares for emergencies beforehand and makes sure that even in such circumstances subscribers have continuous communications with loved ones and relevant national services.


We consistently develop and modernize our networks: just in 2019, Beeline made superfast VDSL and FTTB internet accessible in almost all areas of Yerevan and enhanced the network in several cities including Etchmiadzin.

As of the moment, the company has an increase in internet use: between March 13th and 19th, the mobile internet traffic increased by 3% compared to the previous 7 days.


In the same period, fixed-line internet use grew by 24% compared to the previous 7 days. We are ready to secure bigger volume. Our technicians work 24/7 in order to secure continuous communications.

Beeline also provides free access to relevant information sources and hotlines. We announce about all these measures on our Facebook page and via SMS notifications. 

Rostelecom

Rostelecom has registered a 15-20% increase in internet traffic since March 13.

The network is not overloaded, so there are no issues. The company is ready for the load to increase. The staff works in emergency mode and everything is done to secure quality, continuous communications.

In addition, the company has launched a range of new offers: free access to entertainment and children’s TV channels, all films and TV series, and a new educational channel Hybrid Edu (ch121).

Customer service is provided round-the-clock via call service. Subscriptions and payments can be made on the company’s website.

Narine Daneghyan

Coronavirus cases reach 160 in Armenia

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia

The Number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Armenia have reached 160 the National Center of Disease Control informs.

One patient has recovered and been discharged from hospital.

The Ministry of Health calls to:

  • Stay at home,
  • Limit your contacts,
  • Follow personal hygiene,
  • Wash your hands frequently with soap for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating and after getting home,
  • Reduce access to public transport as far as possible;
  • In case of contact keep at least 1 meter distance,
  • Contact your doctor if you have flu-like symptoms,
  • If you have returned from countries where the epidemic is tense, isolate yourself for 14 days,
  • Periodically measure your fever and inform the doctor about the results,
  • Do not panic and follow your doctor’s advice.

Moderna’s Noubar Afeyan briefs Armenian President on the testing of COVID-19 vaccine

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia


President Armen Sarkissian had a telephone conversation with Noubar Afeyan, a well-known American-Armenian entrepreneur and philanthropist, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative co-founder.

The American Moderna Therapeutics biotechnology company, co-founded and chaired by Noubar Afeyan, has developed a vaccine against coronavirus that has been undergoing clinical trials since March 17 at the Kaiser Permanente Health Research Institute in Seattle, washington.

During the telephone conversation, Noubar Afeyan touched upon the development and testing of the vaccine against coronavirus.

The interlocutors discussed the situation in the world, including the situation caused by the spread of the new coronavirus infection in Armenia, as well as the measures taken to prevent and overcome the infection and their effectiveness.

Speaking about the steps to prevent and overcome the spread of the coronavirus infection in Armenia, President Sarkissian attached importance to the joint efforts and cooperation with international partners.

Armenpress: Armenia designates more hospitals for coronavirus cases

Emil Lazarian

Armenia designates more hospitals for coronavirus cases

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 10:30,

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. Because of the growing number of novel coronavirus patients in Armenia, healthcare authorities have designated other hospitals in addition to the Nork Infectious Diseases hospital to treat the cases, Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan said.

Earlier, all suspected and confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Armenia were being taken to the Nork Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yerevan.

Torosyan said on March 21 that 5 medical facilities have been designated to treat coronavirus patients in Yerevan. He said that few patients are also currently hospitalized in two hospitals in provinces.

“Asymptomatic patients are being taken to other hospitals, the others remain at the [Nork Infectious Diseases hospital]”, he said.

The healthcare minister said so far 11 patients have been confirmed to have pneumonia by x-ray tests. Only 3 of them require intensive care. Torosyan said all patients are in non-life threatening condition.

“I’d like to inform that today there are more than 600 people under quarantine. We find that the reserve is nearing its end, and we find that the preventive measures must be conditioned with self-quarantine. Experience shows that our citizens not always adhere to it. That’s why the parliament debated during a special session the bill on envisaging liability for the violation of self-quarantine or quarantine. I believe that this is a reasonable requirement, when a citizen is endangering public health, they must be held to account,” Torosyan said on social media.

As of March 21, the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Armenia stands at 160.

One patient has recovered and was discharged on March 15th.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian President phones Moderna’s Noubar Afeyan over coronavirus vaccine

Hovik Karapetian

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 11:14,

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian had a phone conversation with Armenian-American entrepreneur, philanthropist and venture capitalist Noubar Afeyan, the co-founder and chairman of the US bio-tech company Moderna Therapeutics, which has started clinical trials of a novel coronavirus vaccine in Seattle, Washington.

Afeyan, the co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, presented to the Armenian president the trial process and the creation of the vaccine, Sarkissian’s office said in a readout.

The president and Afeyan also talked about the situation in the world and in Armenia which has been caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, the preventive actions and countermeasures.

“President Sarkissian, speaking about the preventive and overcoming steps in Armenia against the coronavirus spread, also attached importance to combining efforts and cooperation with international partners,” said the readout.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenpress: 159 active novel coronavirus cases in Armenia

Toneyan Mark

159 active novel coronavirus cases in Armenia

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 10:08,

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. 24 new novel coronavirus cases have been diagnosed in Armenia, bringing the total number of infections as of Saturday morning (March 21) to 160, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said. All patients are in satisfactory condition.

So far, one patient has already recovered. He was discharged on March 15th.

The remaining are hospitalized.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenpress: Armenian celebrated retired athlete Shavarsh Karapetyan appointed advisor to Bashkortostan leader

Karapet Navasardian

Armenian celebrated retired athlete Shavarsh Karapetyan appointed advisor to Bashkortostan leader

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 10:39,

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. Shavarsh Karapetyan, 66, the Armenian retired athlete who became a household name after saving dozens of people from drowning in a 1976 accident in Yerevan, has been appointed to serve as Advisor to Radiy Khabirov, the Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject in Russia.

According to Russian media reports Karapetyan will advise Khabirov on sports affairs.

Shavarsh Karapetyan, Merited Master of Sports of the USSR, 11-time finswimming World Record-breaker, is better known for an incident which occurred on September 16, 1976. On that day, Karapetyan was jogging with his brother alongside the Yerevan Lake, when suddenly a trolleybus crashed into it.

The trolleybus lay at the bottom of the lake some 25 meters (80 ft) offshore at a depth of 10 meters (33 ft). Karapetyan swam to it and, despite conditions of almost zero visibility, due to the silt rising from the bottom, broke the back window with his legs. The trolleybus was overcrowded, it carried 92 passengers and Karapetyan knew he had little time, spending some 30 to 35 seconds for each person he saved.

Karapetyan managed to rescue 20 people (he picked up more, but 20 of them survived), but this ended his sports career: the combined effect of cold water and the multiple lacerations from glass shards, left him unconscious for 45 days. Subsequent sepsis, due to the presence of raw sewage in the lake water, and lung complications prevented him from continuing his sports career. But two years later he attempted a comeback, and won gold at USSR championships, before a final retirement.

The main belt asteroid 3027 Shavarsh, in 1978 discovered by Nikolai Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, was named after him.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

83% of Armenia’s novel coronavirus cases are direct contact stage II transmissions

Ophelia Vardapetian

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 12:11,

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. 133 out of the 160 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Armenia are all linked with the two previously detected sources of infection – one in the town of Etchmiatsin (Vagharshapat) and the other in a manufacturing plant in Yerevan, healthcare ministry spokesperson Alina Nikoghosyan said on social media. She did not elaborate on the other cases. 

As of midday March 21, there are 159 active novel coronavirus cases in Armenia. One patient recovered and was discharged from hospital on March 15.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




Azerbaijan breaches Artsakh ceasefire 250 times with 1900 shots in one week

Bedik Zaminian

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 13:22,

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire regime more than 250 times in one week (March 15-21) and fired around 1900 shots from various caliber small arms at military positions of Artsakh, the Defense Ministry of Artsakh said in a news release.

The Defense Ministry added that the Artsakh military “maintain full control” in the frontline and “continue confidently fulfilling their combat mission”.  It did not report losses.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan