In major move to boost morale,Tsakhkadzor Mayor gifts flowers to women on March 8 at quarantine zone
11:42,
YEREVAN, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS. In a major move to boost morale and show support, Mayor of Tsakhkadzor Artur Harutyunyan has visited the Golden Palace hotel in the resort town to congratulate on International Women’s Day the women who are among the 31 quarantined people in the facility.
“The Mayor of Tsakhkadzor went to the Golden Palace hotel on March 8 with flowers to congratulate the women on the holiday. There is nothing unusual,” Governor of the Kotayk Province (which includes Tsakhkadzor) Romanos Petrosyan said at a news conference. Petrosyan called on tourists to continue visiting the famed resort town.
He did not elaborate on the precautionary measures taken during the mayor’s visit.
He said there are many tourists in the town, even on business days.
“We had little panic moods on the first day, but then when we visited the town with the prime minister and our other colleagues the panic fully subsided,” Petrosyan said, adding that the resort town is living its normal life.
Armenia reported its first novel coronavirus case on March 1. The virus was confirmed in an Armenian man who traveled to Iran. He was hospitalized in Yerevan, while his direct contacts were taken to the Tsakhkadzor resort town’s previously defunct Golden Palace hotel. The hotel was quickly re-launched by healthcare authorities and the 31 quarantined people have all necessary conditions, including food service, internet etc.
Shortly after the news, there were unconfirmed reports that tourists are leaving the town and cancelling hotel bookings. However, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his family personally visited the town to show support and dismissed the concerns.
UPDATES:
15:48 – Tsakhkadzor mayor clarifies the report, says he hasn't personally entered the hotel but gave the flowers to the hazmat personnel and asked to convey them to the women who are quarantined.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan