Category: 2020

 15:40, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Portuguese professional footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is currently in quarantine in his Madeira home after Juventus teammate Daniele Rugani tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Daily Mail reported.

Ronaldo will not return back to the coronavirus-hit Italy and will stay in quarantine in his home.

Last week Ronaldo and Rugani participated in the match against Inter Milan.

A pneumonia outbreak caused by the COVID-19 virus (previously known as 2019-nCoV) was reported in China’s city of Wuhan, a large trade and industrial center with a population of 12 million, in late December. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak in China a global health emergency, characterizing it as an epidemic with multiple foci. Cases of the new coronavirus have also been reported in over 70 other countries. Currently the number of people infected with COVID-19 around the globe is over 120,000, with more than 4,000 deaths.

 16:22, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The United Nations Human Rights Council made a decision to suspend its 43rd session in Geneva due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, Human Rights Council president Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberge said today during the session, TASS reports.

The session was scheduled to take place until March 20, but will be suspended from March 13.

“By the consent of the Council we suspend the 43rd session on March 13 until further notice”, the HRC chief said.

A pneumonia outbreak caused by the COVID-19 virus (previously known as 2019-nCoV) was reported in China’s city of Wuhan, a large trade and industrial center with a population of 12 million, in late December. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak in China a global health emergency, characterizing it as an epidemic with multiple foci. Cases of the new coronavirus have also been reported in over 70 other countries. Currently the number of people infected with COVID-19 around the globe is over 120,000, with more than 4,000 deaths.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:16, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. In order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus Armenia’s Central Bank will gradually replace the old (used) banknotes, which are in circulation, with the new ones, the CBA told Armenpress.

“At the same time we urge to use non-cash means of payment and online banking services as much as possible”, the CBA said in a statement.

Armenia confirmed three new coronavirus cases on March 11. As of now the total number of the confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country is 4. The first case was reported on March 1.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:27, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian minister of economy Tigran Khachatryan doesn’t see problems for Armenian exporters in terms of the short-term fall in the Russian Ruble exchange rate.

“On March 10, following the drastic rise of the US dollar against the Russian currency, the Ruble started returning to a more moderate range. The Russian relevant authorities announced that they are going to maintain control in their future policy in order to avoid major short-term shocks. This gives hope that from short-term perspective our exporters and manufacturers will not face unexpected losses that could result from very sharp changes”, the minister told reporters at a briefing.

He noted that in any case there is a need to study the possible scenarios in case of future developments in the long-term perspective.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:52, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian minister of economy Tigran Khachatryan says it’s still too early to give an assessment to the effect of the novel coronavirus on the economy.

“Coronavirus affects not only the Ruble fall, oil prices, but also tourism, definitely it will leave some consequences. But it’s still too early to give an assessment in this regard. I think that some time later when the major problem is solved and we prevent the spread of the virus and reach the balance at the expense of manageable mechanisms which will allow to be sure that there is no danger anymore, we will calculate that time what impact it has left on the economy and what steps need to be taken to mitigate the situation”, the minister told reporters at a briefing.

A pneumonia outbreak caused by the COVID-19 virus (previously known as 2019-nCoV) was reported in China’s city of Wuhan, a large trade and industrial center with a population of 12 million, in late December. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak in China a global health emergency, characterizing it as an epidemic with multiple foci. Cases of the new coronavirus have also been reported in over 70 other countries. Currently the number of people infected with COVID-19 around the globe is over 120,000, with more than 4,000 deaths.

Armenia confirmed three new coronavirus cases on March 11. As of now the total number of the confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country is 4. The first case was reported on March 1.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 17:08, 12 March, 2020

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. State Minister of the Republic of Artsakh Grigori Martirosyan, who is also the chairman of the inter-agency commission coordinating the preventive actions for the spread of the new coronavirus, today had a meeting with Healthcare Minister Arayik Baghryan during which they discussed the actions carried out so far and the future steps to prevent the spread of the disease, the State Minister’s Office told Armenpress.

State Minister Martirosyan was interested in the process of actions to prevent the virus, as well as the level of material and technical service equipment means.

The healthcare minister reported that as of now no case of coronavirus has been detected in Artsakh.

“Till now nearly 40 samples were sent to Armenia for testing, and all the results were negative. I would like also to inform that discussions are being organized, being in constant contact with the Armenian partners. Thanks to the complex measures taken so far all hospitals have been equipped with both single-use items, disinfectants, etc.”, the minister said.

The State Minister said that earlier the government reached an agreement with two companies according to which face masks are produced in case of necessity which are in accordance with the medical norms and are provided for additional use according to the distribution lists.

At the end of the meeting the State Minister urged all citizens of Artsakh to avoid traveling to foreign countries, business trips, except of strict necessity.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 17:34, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. TUMO is shutting down its three centers in Armenia and one in Artsakh amid coronavirus fears. The classes are suspended until April 12, TUMO spokesperson Zaruhi Budaghyan told ARMENPRESS.

“We want to protect our students from potential coronavirus-related risks”, she said.

She confirmed reports that one of the three persons to be diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Armenia on March 11, an Italian citizen, had visited the TUMO Yerevan center before hospitalization.

“The reports are true. The person was indeed in the Yerevan branch of TUMO, in the 6th floor. The person visited а construction site. We are announcing with utmost responsibility that the person only visited the 6th floor, where there were no staff or students. The person did not have any contacts with anyone in the building,” she said.

TUMO has three centers in Armenia (Yerevan, Gyumri and Dilijan) and one in Artsakh (Stepanakert).

It also has two international centers in Paris and Beirut.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:38, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan chaired a meeting of the governmental task force dealing with the prevention of the COVID19 spread in Armenia.

Avinyan said that they should consider introducing a liability institute in order to secure the effectiveness of the factual isolation of persons who are or will be self-quarantined in their homes. “Even WHO doesn’t advise isolating and quarantining all people who enter the country and this is physically impossible. But in order to implement supervision for those in self-quarantine, I think this discussion should take place today and we must make decisions”, he said. The Healthcare Ministry and the Justice Ministry were both tasked with recommending options of implementing liability against those who will violate self-quarantine regimes.

Issues concerning external and domestic measures aimed at preventing the coronavirus, the economic impacts of the outbreak and potential developments and scenarios were discussed.

Avinyan tasked all governmental agencies to ramp up preventive medical measures.

The task force decided that nationals who will be airlifted out of the coronavirus-hit Italy on a special flight on March 15 will be quarantined for 14 days after arrival.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:52, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, 12 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 12 March, USD exchange rate is up by 1.30 drams to 484.33 drams. EUR exchange rate is down by 1.63 drams to 544.48 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is down by 0.25 drams to 6.50 drams. GBP exchange rate is down by 8.58 drams to 617.28 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price is up by 38.83 drams to 25751.48 drams. Silver price is down by 0.06 drams to 265.03 drams. Platinum price is up by 192.04 drams to 13687.41 drams.