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21:57, 23.05.2020
Author: Emil Karabekian
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Armenian Health Minister Voices Doubts about Georgian COVID Data
Georgia Today
Armenian Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan on Friday voiced his doubts about the coronavirus data of Georgia. When comparing the Georgian and Armenian healthcare and anti-epidemiological systems, Torosyan said Georgia’s are significantly different, “and not in a good way”, according to the news website Arminfo.
"Our anti-epidemiological system is stronger, and this is a fact," he said, going on to express hope that, in addition to Georgia, other neighboring countries – Russia and Iran, will be able to strengthen their anti-epidemiological systems, which is important for Armenia, taking into account the flow of citizens entering these territories from these countries.
During the on-line discussions initiated by the Public Council, Torosyan asked several questions about the methodology Georgia uses to record the date of the COVID-19 infected patients, noting that not many countries can “compare with Armenia on the principle of transparency of information on coronavirus.”
“Firstly, have PCR tests been used in all testing cases in Georgia, or are we talking about quick tests, which are practically not used in Armenia due to their low level of accuracy? Secondly, are citizens with mild ARVI symptoms tested for coronavirus? Thirdly, are coronavirus statistics included for people who have died from pneumonia while having diagnosed COVID-19? The Minister recalled that in Armenia, such cases of fatal outcomes are included in the statistics, and separate statistics are also conducted for patients with COVID-19 who have died from other diseases,” writes Arminfo.
In an effort to prove his point, Torosyan offered some information for consideration: “when we test drivers driving from Georgia to Armenia, in many cases coronavirus is diagnosed. So, can it be considered that in Georgia there are really 1-2 cases of coronavirus detected a day, or in reality that not all cases of COVID-19 are detected and included in the statistics?”
The Armenian Minister also expressed doubt about whether or not Georgia, as well as other countries, will be able to keep the infection rates this low after it reopens its borders for tourists.
5928 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Armenia, 2874 people have recovered and 74 have died. At time of writing, 2952 patients are receiving actual treatment. In Georgia, 723 cases of COVID-19 have been registered, 495 have recovered, and 12 have died, and 209 patients are undergoing treatment.
Amiran Gamkrelidze, Director General of the Georgian National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) responded to the statement of the Minister of Health of Armenia.
In his words, it is not yet confirmed that such a statement was actually made.
"I saw this information, however, it is not yet confirmed that he actually made such a statement. I know Mr. Arsen Torosyan personally, and I am a little surprised if this statement was made from this perspective. We are very close nations, neighbors, we have a long history, and I was a little surprised by this kind of "non-diplomatic" statement.
"I don't know what statistics he is relying on, he can see the data published by us, on our website, which is also available in English. On our website, we publish annual statistics, the dynamics of pneumonia. We have studied this. We do not have one of the most important characteristics of these pandemics – the high mortality rate. In other countries, such as Italy, etc., the mortality rate has been and still is high. We’ve been watching this for 3-4 years. Do we have a high mortality rate, including due to pneumonia? we do not have. Today, all patients with pneumonia in all hospitals in Georgia are being tested. All patients diagnosed with pneumonia, of course, are hospitalized and all of them are tested,” Gamkrelidze said.
In his words, Torosyan also says that tests are being mixed in Georgia and that rapid tests are included in the data of tested people.
"No, Mr. Arsen, 48,290 tests conducted in the country are all PCR tests. We do not include in this a few thousand rapid tests used by the country, medical institutions. So I was surprised by this statement. I respect him, and other Armenian ministers. I am not sure whether he really made this statement or not,” Amiran Gamkrelidze added.
By Nini Dakhundaridze
RFE/RL Armenian Report – 05/22/2020
Friday,
Armenian Health Minister In Fresh Warning On Coronavirus Cases
• Susan Badalian
Armenia -- Health Minister Arsen Torosian (R) visits the intensive care unit of
Surp Grigor Lusavorich hospital, Yerevan, May 10, 2020.
Armenian hospitals are increasingly struggling to cope with growing coronavirus
cases and may soon be unable to give life-saving treatment to all infected
people hospitalized in serious condition, Health Minister Arsen Torosian said on
Friday.
Amid the continuing rapid spread of the virus in Armenia, Torosian again warned
of a possible shortage of intensive care beds at the hospitals treating COVID-19
patients. He said that at least 150 of just over 200 such beds currently
available in the country are already occupied by patients.
“All of the 50 [vacant] beds might be occupied as early as today, whereas
[occupied beds] will be freed up very slowly because citizens kept in our
intensive care units … usually stay there for around 20 days,” he said during a
video conference with members of Armenia’s Public Council.
Accordingly, Torosian acknowledged that doctors dealing with the COVID-19
epidemic may soon have to switch to a “deep sorting” of patients that show
severe symptoms of the disease.
“The deep sorting is also done during wars, with mainly those patients who have
a chance to survive admitted for treatment,” he said. “It’s possible that at
this rate [of coronavirus infections] we will opt for that in the coming days.
But we are doing everything to avoid that, for example, by deploying new beds.”
The minister’s latest stark warning came as the health authorities stopped
hospitalizing or isolating infected people showing mild symptoms of the virus or
none at all. Such individuals, who account for more than 70 percent of all
cases, will now have to self-isolate at home.
Asymptomatic patients currently kept in hospitals or hotels turned into
temporary medical care centers will also be sent home.
Torosian defended this measure, saying that the authorities simply have no other
choice. “There is no more room [for asymptomatic cases,]” he said. “That is why
we are sending people home.”
Armenia -- A COVID-19 patient is brought to the Surp Grigor Lusavorich hospital
in Yerevan, April 8, 2020.
The Armenian Ministry of Health reported in the morning that 322 new infections
and 4 more deaths were registered in the past 24 hours. The total number of
COVID-19 cases thus reached 5,928 while the official death toll from the disease
rose to 74.
The latter figure does not include the deaths of 28 other people infected with
the virus. The ministry claims that those fatalities were primarily caused by
other, pre-existing diseases.
Torosian warned on Thursday that the number of people dying from coronavirus
could rise sharply if the highly infectious disease continues to spread rapidly.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian likewise said that the “situation is not good.”
Still, Pashinian made clear that the Armenian government will stick to its
“decentralized” strategy of fighting against the virus which puts the emphasis
on citizens’ “individual responsibility.”
As part of a nationwide lockdown imposed in late March, the government seriously
restricted people’s movements and ordered the closure of most nonessential
businesses. But it began relaxing these restrictions already in mid-April.
The daily numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country have steadily
increased since then. Critics say that the authorities never properly enforced
the lockdown and lifted it too soon.
“If there is a two-week total lockdown, not the one which we had [earlier this
spring,] then I can practically guarantee that we can completely stop
outbreaks,” Torosian declared on Friday. But he stopped short of publicly urging
the government to impose such a lockdown.
Karabakh Inauguration Party Raises Eyebrows In Armenia
• Robert Zargarian
Nagorno-Karabakh -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and other
dignitaries attend a state banquet in Shushi, .
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and key members of his administration caused an
uproar in Armenia after clearly failing to observe social distancing during a
state banquet in Nagorno-Karabakh on Thursday.
The open-air dinner party was held in the town of Shushi following the
inauguration of Ara Harutiunian, Karabakh’s recently elected new president.
Official photographs of the event showed Pashinian, Armenian parliament speaker
Ararat Mirzoyan, their wives and dozens of other dignitaries standing tightly
around tables loaded with various dishes and snacks. None of the guests wore
gloves, let alone masks.
The photos were widely circulated on social media, prompting criticism from not
only opponents but also some supporters of the Armenian government. Some critics
accused Pashinian of recklessness and hypocrisy.
The prime minister attended the inauguration events in Karabakh just hours after
expressing serious concern over the continuing rapid spread of coronavirus in
Armenia. “The situation is much more serious than we can imagine,” he warned at
a cabinet meeting in Yerevan.
Pashinian again complained that many Armenians are still not complying with
social distancing and hygiene rules set by the health authorities. He ordered
the Armenian police to enforce those rules “more strictly.”
Responding to the uproar, Pashinian’s spokeswoman, Mane Gevorgian, insisted that
the premier and his entourage took all necessary precautions against the virus
during their latest trip to Karabakh.
“The banquet followed the inauguration ceremony of Artsakh’s new president
during which the prime minister, his wife, government members and deputies of
the National Assembly wore masks,” Gevorgian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service on
Friday. “Many of them also wore gloves.”
Deputy parliament speaker Alen Simonian argued, for his part, that the COVID-19
infection rate in Karabakh is much lower than in Armenia. “Fortunately, Karabakh
does not have the kind of strict restrictions that are in place in Armenia,” he
said.
Simonian seemed to acknowledge at the same time that the organizers and
participants of the inauguration party should have been more careful. “We all
must draw conclusions and learn from our mistakes and shortcomings,” he said.
Authorities in Karabakh have reported 33 coronavirus cases and no deaths
resulting from them so far. The Armenian-populated territory, which had broken
away from Azerbaijan in 1991, has around 150,000 residents.
In Armenia, the Ministry of Health reported on Friday 322 new infections and 4
more deaths. The total number of COVID-19 cases thus reached 5,928.
More Armenians Evacuated From Turkey
Georgia -- Buses carrying Armenians returning to Armenia from Turkey, May 22,
2020.
Armenia evacuated on Friday 168 more Armenian citizens from coronavirus-hit
Turkey in coordination with Turkish and Georgian authorities.
They reportedly boarded four Armenian buses after being bused from Istanbul to
the Turkish-Georgian border late at night. They then proceeded to Armenia via
Georgia.
Armenia’s government paid for the bus service and covered other expenses
incurred during the evacuation. The Armenian Embassy in Tbilisi said it provided
the evacuees with food and other essential items during their transit through
Georgia which was allowed by the Georgian government.
All evacuees were due to be told to self-isolate for two weeks on their arrival
in Armenia.
More than 70 other Armenians were evacuated from Turkey in early April. The
Armenian and Turkish foreign ministries arranged their return during a rare
direct contact.
Armenia and Turkey do not have diplomatic relations. Successive Turkish
governments have also kept the border between the two neighboring states closed
because of the unresolved conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Officials in Yerevan say that more than 60,000 Armenian nationals, most of them
migrant workers who lived in Russia and Europe, have returned to their country
since March 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic
consequences.
According to the Armenian Embassy in Moscow, at least 5,000 Armenians currently
stuck in Russia also want to return home but are unable to do so because of the
coronavirus-related absence of regular flights between the two countries. Since
the beginning of April the embassy has helped to organize a dozen charter
flights to Yerevan from Moscow and other Russian cities to evacuate a smaller
number of other citizens.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Healthcare Minister warns against COVID-19 conspiracy theories citing public health jeopardy
16:38,
YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Healthcare Minister Arsen Torosyan has called on Armenians not to believe conspiracy theories around the COVID-19 pandemic and warned that doing so may result in letting one’s guard down and losing vigilance as the numbers of confirmed cases grow.
“Parallel to the growth of coronavirus disease cases the number of those who believe in conspiracy theories is also growing. This is concerning in terms of people potentially letting down their guard towards the disease. And this in turn means that this can contribute to more cases happening soon,” Torosyan said on social media.
Torosyan said there are many phrases like “We are definitely going to get micro-chips”, “No such disease exists”, “It won’t get us”, “It is an international bluff”, “It is all a lie”, “It’s for getting foreign funding” on social media.
“Such opinions are also widely covered by the press. We don’t want our population to lose vigilance and if this trend continues we will have to report the details of social media users spreading such false and unsubstantiated claims to the law enforcement agencies, first of all to understand who stands behind this and what are their motives on endangering our citizens,” the minister said.
Given the growing number of COVID-19 cases, Torosyan once more asked citizens to be highly vigilant and maintain all safety precautions to slow down the transmission rate.
He also urged citizens to follow official information as a reliable source.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Armenian opposition MP on link between Bright Armenia Party and former authorities
News.am, Armenia
16:57, 13.05.2020
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News.am, Armenia
Armenian opposition MP dodges question about Sasun Mikayelyan's illegal assets Armenian opposition MP dodges question about Sasun Mikayelyan's illegal assets
16:02, 13.05.2020
Iran coronavirus cases surpass 100,000
14:32, 6 May, 2020
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. According to the latest data, the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Iran has increased by 1,680 bringing the total number of cases to 101,650, the Armenian Embassy in Iran said on Facebook.
78 more deaths have been registered in the past one day. The death toll has reached 6,418.
2,735 coronavirus infected patients are in serious condition.
The number of recovered people increased by 1,112 raising the total number of recoveries to 81,587.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Which MP hits opposition Bright Armenia faction leader in the back?
News.am, Armenia
May 8 2020
13:06, 08.05.2020
Armenia’s MFA spokesperson to Aliyev: When will we witness the restoration of monuments of Chardakhlu settlement …
Aysor, Armenia
May 8 2020
Spokesperson of Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Anna Naghdalyan has issued a comment regarding Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev’s comments on Armenia in an interview with TASS news agency. The Armenia MFA spokesperson’s comment reads as follows:
“The 75th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War is a good occasion to recall and pay tribute to the sacrifices and unity of all the peoples who prevailed in the fight against the world's evil.
We are convinced that historical memory is the greatest value of human dignity, and the falsification of historical memory and its use for narrow political interests demonstrate lack of sense of history, dignity and memory.
I regret that the President of Azerbaijan once again attempted to use the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazism in World War II in his decades-long hostile propaganda against the Armenian people.
The contribution of the Armenian people to the victory of the Allied Powers in World War II has been inscribed in gold on the pages of world history.
We proudly remember the names of all Armenian heroes, whether fighting in the Red Army and its national divisions, in the armies of Allied Powers or in the ranks of the Resistance movement and intelligence. With their devotion and courage, they deserved to be commemorated along with their proud ancestors and national heroes, including the glorified warriors of World War I.
Today, on the territory of the Republic of Armenia, about six hundred monuments dedicated to participants of the Great Patriotic War are under the state protection and care. Those are the perpetuated witnesses of the history of our common victory. We condemn every attack on the monuments, and our resolve has been manifested not merely in words, but in the fact that no monument dedicated to World War II warriors has been a subject to attack in the history of Armenia.
From this perspective, I would like to address a question to the leadership of Azerbaijan in anticipation of an answer to be translated into certain actions: when will we witness the restoration of monuments of Chardakhlu settlement, which were dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, including those dedicated to the Soviet marshals Ivan (Hovhannes) Baghramyan and Hamazasp Babajanyan, which were destroyed in the Republic of Azerbaijan?"