11:59, 27 August, 2021

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS. 14 hospitals are currently treating COVID-19 patients in Armenia, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

Right now there are a total of 1500 beds for COVID-19 patients, and only 357 are now available. In an emergency mode the health authorities are capable of bringing the number of beds to 2700.

“Around 700 patients are in serious or critical condition. The proportionality of the number of overall hospitalized patients and the number of seriously ill patients is very concerning,” she said.

Avanesyan said that the Delta variant of the disease is now actively circulating in Armenia.

“We have young patients who don’t have any underlying diseases but are now in critical condition. Our doctors are fighting to save their lives.”

Avanesyan added that on August 26 alone 7114 vaccinations were carried out against COVID-19, bringing the total number of vaccinations to 267,504. She said the number of persons willing to take the vaccine is rising.

The health minister added that a vaccine mandate for employees of all businesses will be enforced from October 1, whereby employees refusing to take the jab will have to get tested twice a month.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan