12:03, 31 January, 2020
YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenian governmental inter-agency commission discussed the issue of limiting the visits of Chinese citizens to the country aimed at preventing the spread of new coronavirus detected in China. The final decision will be made in the upcoming 1-2 days, Healthcare Minister of Armenia Arsen Torosyan told reporters at a press conference.
“Just a while ago the session of the inter-agency commission for prevention of novel coronavirus, created by the decision of the PM, was held chaired by deputy PM Tigran Avinyan. During the session we discussed the current situation, the actions taken so far and the upcoming steps. We also discussed the issue of limiting the entry of Chinese citizens [to Armenia], and a respective decision will be made within the next 1-2 days”, he said.
The minister stated that this also supposes changes within the international commitments, and the foreign ministry of Armenia will come up with a respective statement.
The commission also discussed issues relating to the Armenian citizens who are currently in China. “All actions envisaged by the medical rules of the World Health Organization are being taken. These include border control, final diagnosis of patients, etc”, he said.
Minister Torosyan said they will just try to reduce the entry of citizens to Armenia who represent a potential danger.
On December 31, 2019, Chinese authorities informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of an unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan v a large trade and industrial center in central China populated by 11 million people. On January 7, Chinese experts identified the infecting agent: coronavirus 2019-nCoV.
According to latest reports, a total of 8,100 people were infected with the new coronavirus in China, and the death toll reached 171.
Cases of the new coronavirus were also confirmed in 18 other countries, including Australia, Vietnam, India, Cambodia, Canada, Malaysia, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Singapore, the United States, Thailand, the Philippines, Finland, France, Germany, Sri Lanka and Japan.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan