Author: Arsine Chaltikian

 15:06,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The opposition parties of the Armenian parliament will vote down the government-backed bill on introducing a location data mechanism for tracing direct contacts of coronavirus patients by using mobile carrier data.

MP Edmon Marukyan, the leader of the Bright Armenia (LHK) opposition party, said that the mechanism would require major funding, whereas now the country needs the resources to tackle social economic issues. Instead of this mechanism Marukyan suggested developing social assistance programs. “The LHK disapproves this bill, we are against yielding our liberties,” he said, adding that his party will vote against the bill.

Speaking on behalf of Prosperous Armenia (BHK) opposition party, legislator Naira Zohrabyan called on the government to retract the bill. “Who says that people must definitely arrange their meetings over the phone? I think the majority of meetings are taking place impromptu,” she said, adding that the BHK will vote against the bill.

Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan argued that the opposition’s reaction is due to the fact that the lawmakers didn’t have enough time to scrutinize the bill.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 16:03, 11 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS. On the sidelines of the official visit to Serbia Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and his delegation met today with President Aleksandar Vučić, the Armenian Parliament told Armenpress.

The Serbian President welcomed the Armenian Speaker of Parliament and his delegation to Belgrade and expressed confidence that this visit will give a new impetus to the Armenian-Serbian relations.

Speaker Mirzoyan thanked for the welcome and stated that the recent high-level visits between the two countries must contribute to revealing and exercising the potential existing between the sides, adding that the two peoples have deep historical and cultural ties. Ararat Mirzoyan highlighted the fact of abolishing the visa regime between the two countries and stated that it will boost mutual tourism visits.

The Speaker also highlighted the role of the parliaments in the bilateral relations both at the level of friendship groups, committees and international parliamentary formats.

The sides exchanged also information about the ongoing situation in both regions.

As for the Artsakh conflict, Speaker Mirzoyan said the right to self-determination is the only guarantee for the physical security of the Armenian population living there. He reaffirmed that the Armenian side sees the solution of the conflict only through peaceful negotiations under the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format and calls on its partners to support this format and the adopted principles.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

 20:41, 11 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS. Three new novel coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Armenia on March 11, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 4, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced Wednesday evening.

"Today, unfortunately, we have three new cases of the coronavirus", Pashinyan said on social media. 

He said the patients are two Armenian nationals (aged 45 and 27) and one Italian national (51), who is employed in Armenia. He said all of them have recently arrived from the coronavirus-hit Italy.

Pashinyan said authorities are now tracing their contacts for quarantine. He said according to preliminary info the circle of direct contacts isn’t big.

Pashinyan said only one of the patients, an Armenian national, has developed pneumonia. The other two have no symptoms.

“Dear countrymen, please maintain calm and follow the healthcare ministry’s advises on preventive methods”, Pashinyan said.

The first COVID19 case in Armenia was reported on March 1. 

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

 14:18, 12 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Online reports about the situation in the town of Ethmiatsin (Vagharshapat) are highly exaggerated, Mayor Diana Gasparyan said, advising the general public to follow only official information. She presented details about the novel coronavirus patient who is a local of Ejmiatsin.

“We have one carrier who has participated in an engagement ceremony on Sunday. Direct contacts were clarified and the information was given to the healthcare ministry. The contacts are being quarantined for testing,” she said.

Direct contacts are being taken out of the city to the quarantine zone by ambulances and police.

The patient is hospitalized at the Nork Infectious Disease hospital in Yerevan. The patient is not in serious condition.

Speaking about public calls for shutting down local schools, she said the City Hall doesn’t have the authority to do so.

Gasparyan said kindergartens have been provided with disinfecting and sanitation gels. “I am personally strictly supervising it”, she said. “We don’t have a decision on shutting down kindergartens yet, but we do monitor the attendance levels”.

Mayor Gasparyan said she will postpone a scheduled campaigning rally for the constitutional referendum because of the coronavirus case.

The Mayor called on the general public not to panic and follow official news reports.

On March 11, three novel coronavirus cases were confirmed in Armenia, bringing the total number to 4. One of the three latest cases was diagnosed in a citizen of Etchmiatsin.

The first case was confirmed on March 1.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenia's nine suspected cases of coronavirus test negative, turn out to be common cold

 18:28, 2 March, 2020

YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. The nine suspected cases of the novel coronavirus in Armenia tested negative for the virus, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on social media. All suspected cases turned out to be the common cold, he said.

Speaking about the first confirmed case, the PM said the patient is feeling well and doesn’t display symptoms.

PM Pashinyan added that the quarantined contacts of the patient are also feeling well.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan