Armenia has confirmed 20 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of cases to 853 in the country as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 7, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
So far, 87 people have recovered and 8 have died from COVID-19 in Armenia.
The results of 4,287 tests have come back negative.
There is just one thing that Arsenal needs to remember and that is that you cannot under any circumstances begin next year with Henrikh Mkhitaryan still on the roster. Sure, £10m is a sucky bid, and Roma knows it is a sucky bid.
But chances are Roma also knows how much the Gunners will want to get rid of the Armenian. Mkhitaryan has been outspoken and critical of his parent club and it’s plain to see why. He failed right alongside Mesut Ozil during his time at the Emirates and that makes him a clear and obvious must-sell.
He’s also on a good amount of wages that need to be freed up in order to allow for new flexibility to sign key players like, oh I don’t know, Bukayo Saka. I don’t care if Mkhitaryan has to go for free if it means that his wages will be freed up to allow for someone more important and more valuable to stay at the Emirates.
That’s the thing here. We can play hardball all we want, and at least for a little bit, we should. But at the end of the day, do not get stuck with him at the club. You have to get rid of him.
ArmInfo. To organize the distance education process, the state will provide children from low-income families with tablets and Internet connection. This was stated during the discussions in the Government of the Republic of Armenia under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, which were held with the aim of finding solutions to the socio-economic problems arising from the coronavirus.
According to the press service of the government, the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, Arayik Harutyunyan, proposed to implement such an initiative. In this context, Prime Minister RA Nikol Pashinyan instructed Minister Harutyunyan, together with the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, to finalize the tools provided for in the proposal and submit them to the government for consideration.
However, during the discussions, Pashinyan noted that in a crisis, the government should revise the tools and speed of response to investment proposals. <This should be one of the most important issues on our agenda. We are faced with the task of significantly change the speed and quality of our reaction to investment proposals, which is vital>, he said. During the discussions, proposals and ideas were presented regarding the development and promotion of various economic areas.
Wednesday,
Armenian PM Unveils Economic Aid Package Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has promised that his government will
provide at least 150 billion drams (over $300 million) in assistance to the
economy, which is likely to be affected by the ongoing novel coronavirus
pandemic.
In an interview with Shant TV on Wednesday Pashinian said that areas in which
assistance could prove most efficient in conditions of a modifying global
economy will need to be identified.
“The Armenian government will allocate a total of 25 billion drams (over $50
million) to co-finance and subsidize the interest rates of loans for companies
that borrow money from Armenian banks in the national currency to pay salaries,
taxes, bills and purchase raw materials,” he said.
The prime minister said he viewed the current situation as “point zero” from
which the “economic revolution” advocated by his government should start. “Now
everything is collapsing and we get a large construction site. We should be
thinking about building a new life, a new state, a new society, a new
opportunity and a new economy on this site,” Pashinian said. “Industrial
relations will collapse, and we will need to figure out where to invest money.”
Pashinian said that in his opinion now is a good time to provide urgent support
to agriculture and subsidize loans in this sector, thus encouraging people to
engage in rural economy.
“We have prepared a package of 30 billion drams (over $60 million) for urgent
social assistance to exclude the impoverishment of people,” the prime minister
said, adding that citizens and businesses should be confident that the
government will stand by them.
Armenia declared a 30-day state of emergency on March 16 in a bid to slow down
and contain the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. Limitations that
concern international and local travel, public gatherings and other activities
could potentially affect a number of private sector companies.
As of late Wednesday Armenia has confirmed 110 coronavirus cases. Officials say
the country’s first coronavirus patient identified on March 1 has recovered.
Armenian Students Offered Distance Learning Opportunity
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia -- A lesson in a Yerevan school (file photo)
The education system of Armenia is switching to distance learning because of
school closures conditioned by the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to a
government official.
Arayik Harutiunian, who heads the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and
Sports, said on Wednesday that the new system will be trialed in the country
during the next couple of weeks.
All schools, universities and kindergartens in Armenia were closed on March 13
when the number of new coronavirus cases began to increase in the country
rapidly, leading to the declaration of a national emergency.
Under the state-of-emergency rule, all educational establishments are to remain
closed at least until April 14.
In the meantime, the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian declared that
the new challenge also presents a good opportunity to pilot a long-advocated
distance learning program in the country.
Minister Harutiunian told reporters today that if successful, the distance
learning system may become an efficient tool for Armenia’s education system
beyond the emergency period.
The minister cited one of the points of the state-of-emergency decree that
leaves an option for organizing classes in a remote mode.
Arayik Harutiunian, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports.
07Nov.,2019
“In terms of the higher education system we have been able to find solutions due
to cooperation with universities and as a result of our consultations. A
situation has emerged when higher schools have confirmed that they have
undertaken various means to ensure distance learning during this period and have
already begun to implement distance learning,” the minister said.
According to Harutiunian, the ministry is monitoring the process in universities
to understand the integrity of distance learning.
“As far as general education institutions are concerned, we see a lot of
enthusiasm here. Without our interference some educational institutions – in
some cases classrooms, in some cases teachers – have started using online
platforms to ensure the continuity of the educational process. And I welcome
those professionals, those heads of educational establishments and organizers,
and I say that you are our partners, and we are your partners, and together we
ought to go through this stage and help all those educational institutions that
have not had this opportunity or lacked such tools so far to provide them with
such tools for organizing distance learning,” Harutiunian said.
The minister said that the emergency measures will thus become a national pilot
project of sorts in the field of distance learning. He added that under the
government program, introduction of a distance learning system was originally
planned in Armenia for December 2021.
The minister reported that an online portal
(https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://heravar.armedu.am__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!69yR6oMGiNbpRn3n1A-T4vRsrRRqTeAH7kWIEMAoYGwL2ccEZW80sEuwbnDcuw$
) has been created to gather information about platforms for implementing such
programs. Teachers will receive training so that they can acquire the knowledge
and experience needed for distance education, the minister added.
Harutiunian emphasized that distance learning “is not about education away from
schools, it is about organizing the learning process through technical means.”
As students across Armenia have to stay at their homes, Armenia’s Public
Television is going to broadcast classes every morning for more than two hours.
Besides, a private telecommunications company, Ucom, will provide a separate
channel broadcasting classes around the clock. Also, the Ministry of Education
will have its own YouTube channel where training videos will be posted. Ucom has
said its customers will be enabled to watch this channel without paying for the
internet traffic it takes.
Pneumonia Death In Armenia ‘Not Related’ To COVID-19
The death of a 49-year-old patient hospitalized with pneumonia in Armenia on
March 17 is not related to the novel coronavirus infection, according to health
authorities.
Alina Nikoghosian, a spokeswoman for Armenia’s Ministry of Health, said on
Wednesday that doctors struggled to save the life of the patient who had been
transported to Yerevan’s hospital for infectious diseases with a diagnosis of
“pulmonary edema, bilateral pneumonia and respiratory insufficiency”, conducting
“all necessary cardiopulmonary resuscitation measures”, but did not manage to
save the person’s life.
According to the official, initially doctors suspected that the patient might
have developed pneumonia due to COVID-19, a disease caused by the new
coronavirus infection.
Nikoghosian said that the sample taken from the person tested negative for the
coronavirus.
According to authorities, 84 coronavirus cases have been identified in Armenia
as of March 18 morning. One patient is said to have been recovered and
discharged from hospital. No deaths from COVID-19 have been registered in
Armenia yet. It is reported that only two of the current patients have developed
pneumonia, but according to officials, both are having it in a mild form.
In a live broadcast on Facebook on Wednesday morning Armenian Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinian said that a majority of the patients do not even have fever or
exhibit other coronavirus symptoms.
Earlier, the prime minister said that Armenia’s first coronavirus patient, a
29-year-old man evacuated from Iran, did not require even symptomatic treatment
while in hospital.
To slow down and contain the further spread of the novel coronavirus the
Armenian government declared a 30-day state of emergency on March 16.
Airlines Cancel Flights To Armenia Over Travel Restrictions
Armenia - A passenger jet at Yerevan’s Zvartnots international airport (file
photo)
More than a dozen and a half airlines have temporarily canceled flights to and
from Armenia after travel restrictions were introduced in the South Caucasus
country as part of a coronavirus-conditioned 30-day state of emergency.
According to the press service of the Armenian government, suspension of flights
concerns a number of destinations, including Moscow, Rome, Milan, Tbilisi,
Tel-Aviv, Doha, Minsk, Sharm El Sheikh, Lyon, Warsaw, Kyiv, Dubai and others.
Armenia declared the state of emergency on March 16 amid a spike in the number
of novel coronavirus cases that have now reached 84. The regime implying a range
of limitations, including for international travel, will remain in place until
April 14.
Under the state-of-emergency rule all citizens of Armenia and members of their
families regardless of their nationality are allowed to return to Armenia by
plane. Armenian citizens are also allowed to leave the country by plane on
condition that upon return they will be mandatorily quarantined for the
coronavirus infection. The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, has
strongly recommended that citizens of Armenia abstain from traveling abroad to
avoid possible difficulties conditioned by the global pandemic.
Armenia has also banned the entry by airspace for citizens of 16 countries most
affected by the novel coronavirus, including China, Iran, South Korea, Japan,
Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Norway,
Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
All foreigners are banned from crossing into Armenia by land. The exception is
made for foreign truck drivers transporting cargoes and their partners unless
they exhibit coronavirus-like symptoms.
In a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus Armenia and Russia also
introduced restrictions on travel by land and air between the two countries. The
measure that does not apply to cargo shipments will be in force at least through
March 24.
According to the Armenian government, restrictions will not apply to Armenian
and Russian citizens and members of their families returning to their countries
as well as several other categories of citizens, including diplomats, officials
and servicemen newly deployed at the Russian military base in Armenia or
returning from Russia.
Pensions In Armenia To Be Delivered To Homes
A woman wearing a face mask in Gyumri, Armenia,
Authorities in Armenia say pensions of hundreds of thousands of retired people
will be delivered to their homes to prevent the risk of the novel coronavirus
affecting them.
Scientists around the world say that people aged over 60 are more likely to
develop complications and die because of COVID-19, a disease caused by the new
infection.
Most people in Armenia retire at the age of 63, making pensioners potentially a
risk group for the highly contagious virus.
“Elderly people are considered to be the riskiest group in terms of the
coronavirus infection and these are our beloved parents and grandparents,”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said in a live broadcast on Facebook on
Wednesday.
“In order to reduce risks for our dear pensioners we have decided to organize
the process of payment so that they don’t have to go to and crowd postal
offices. All those who have received their pensions with their bank cards will
continue to do so. And those who have received their pensions by visiting postal
offices themselves will be visited by postal workers who will deliver their
pensions to their homes. Of course, these postal workers will be wearing
protective masks,” Pashinian added.
There are about half a million pensioners in Armenia. Some of them receive their
monthly pensions in non-cash methods. But still a lot of pensioners prefer going
to postal offices at the beginning of every month to be paid their pensions in
person. Crowding at postal offices at such days is a usual occurrence throughout
Armenia.
Earlier, it was reported that the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs had been
negotiating with Haypost CJSC to ensure that employees of the postal company
visit the beneficiaries in person to pay them pensions and other social benefits.
The Ministry said there will be no delays in the payment of pensions and
benefits in Armenia because of the coronavirus epidemic and the ongoing state of
emergency that will be in place until April 14.
According to the official data released by the Health Ministry on March 18
morning, the number of coronavirus cases in Armenia has reached 84. Officials
say Armenia’s first COVID-19 patient identified on March 1 has recovered.
Since the onset of the epidemic the Armenian government has been urging elderly
people to stay at home as much as possible to minimize the risk of being
affected by the new coronavirus.
Armenia Increasing Hospital Capacity Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Minister Says
Armenia - Construction underway at Nork Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yerevan
Armenia is looking to expand its capacity to place patients in hospitals amid a
state of emergency declared over an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the
South Caucasus country.
Health Minister Arsen Torosian said on Wednesday that Yerevan’s specialized
hospital for infectious diseases will get dozens of additional wards by the end
of the week.
“Construction of the modular reception hall at Nork Infectious Diseases Hospital
is in full swing. We are going to have 40 new wards in 3-4 days,” the minister
announced in a Facebook post.
Since the number of coronavirus cases in Armenia began to increase rapidly late
last week, the Nork hospital started to treat only patients having the new
coronavirus infection or suffering from COVID-19, a potentially deadly disease
caused by it.
According to the official data released on March 18 morning, the number of
people infected with coronavirus in Armenia has reached 84. Officials say
Armenia’s first COVID-19 patient identified on March 1 has recovered.
Armenia’s Health Minister Arsen Torosian
In a live broadcast on Facebook late on Tuesday Minister Torosian said that
about 600 people suspected of having had contacts with coronavirus patients are
currently under quarantine. He said the government has the capacity of placing
several hundred more people under quarantine, but warned that beyond that
self-quarantines would be required.
On March 16, the Armenian government declared a 30-day state of emergency over
the coronavirus outbreak. A set of limitations have been introduced, including a
ban on public gatherings and the possibility of restricting people’s travel due
to epidemiological conditions.
Land border crossings with Iran and Georgia remain open only for cargo
transportation. Citizens of 16 countries most affected by the coronavirus,
including China, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Italy and some other European
countries have been banned from entering Armenia. The Armenian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has urged Armenian citizens to refrain from traveling to foreign
countries. Under the terms of Armenia’s state-of-emergency rule, Armenian
citizens can leave the country by plane, but will have to be placed under 14-day
quarantine upon return.
The Armenian Apostolic Church, which began to conduct all liturgies behind
closed doors and limited other services following the declaration of the state
of emergency in Armenia, has called for a “national day of prayer” over the
coronavirus pandemic on March 18.
“We invite everyone to join together in private prayer – from wherever they are
located at the time – to ask the Lord to guide the world and our people to
overcome this tribulation in a spirit of unity and mutual support,” His Holiness
Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, said in his
appeal earlier this week.
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.
14:58, 9 March, 2020
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is discussing the future steps to develop the Armenian-EU relations with President of the European Council Charles Michel in Brussels.
“We are discussing the future steps for the development of the Armenia-European Union ties”, PM Pashinyan said on Facebook.
The meeting of the Armenian PM and the European Council President started without handshaking due to the novel coronavirus.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Brussels today on a working visit.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
20:58,
YEREVAN, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS. By the mutual consent of the sides, Armenia and Georgia have decided to ban the movement of citizens from one country to another for 10 days starting from March 14, ARMENPRESS reports Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan wrote on his Facebook page.
“At the same time the countries will ensure the entry of their citizens wishing to return to their countries. These limitations cover all types of transport means but they do not cover transportations of goods”, he wrote, a ding that everything is done for public safety.
8 cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia since March 1, 2020
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
ArmInfo. There can't be a return to the past in the Karabakh issue, " David Babayan, NKR President's Spokesperson and presidential candidate from the "Artsakh Conservative Party" stated in an interview with ArmInfo's correspondent.
Babayan stated that, in particular, there can be no return to the past in terms of the status and territory of Artsakh, emphasizing that security remains in the first place for the NKR. "Karabakh must again restore its status as a full-fledged party to the negotiations on the Artsakh issue. We need to work in this direction, but certainly it should'nt be considered that restoring a full-fledged format will be an easy task. Azerbaijan will do everything possible to prevent this. This is a very long and laborious process, we should be patient, "he said.
The candidate for presidency of Artsakh touched upon the topic of the so-called "Azerbaijani community of Karabakh" emphasizing that such a state concept does not exist. "This is an artificial concept. It is not a state entity, it is not a party to negotiations, its status has not been recognized by any state, interstate or international organization. That is, the status of the Republic of Artsakh, as a party to the conflict and a party to the negotiations, has been recognized by the international community through the OSCE. And we will never agree to equalize our status with the status of this "community", "Babayan noted.
Touching upon relations with Yerevan, the NKR presidential candidate said that there are people who today say that if they are not in power in Artsakh, a crisis may arise in relations between the two countries. Babayan did not agree with this point of view, emphasizing that no matter who is in power in Armenia and Artsakh, they are obliged to maintain fraternal relations with each other. "We are one homeland, two states. Even if the leaders of Armenia and NKR never knew each other, they are obliged to support each other and be brothers. The most important achievement today is our unity," he stressed.
Babayan also said that relations between the two republics should continue to develop in all directions, as life is very dynamic and does not stand still.
Regarding his election program, the presidential candidate noted that the program is multilateral. "It concerns domestic policy, foreign policy, socio-economic field, defense, environmental sector. We pay special attention to rural development, since we believe that the gene pool of our population is maintained in the village. We are thinking of creating the so-called Red Book of endangered villages. We have villages from which there is an outflow of the population. In some of them over the past half century, the population has decreased 10-fold. We propose that these villages be included in the so-called Red Book and the state will implement a certain policy there. For example, prices for gas, electricity, Internet, water will be very low. It's a tool for reanimation of villages, we will see if we can get the villages out of this difficult situation. If it doesn't work, we will introduce other changes. We attach great importance to creating border strongholds in Artsakh, which differ from the border settlements as such. Take for example the village of Talish. We believe that it cannot be perceived as an ordinary village, because there is a danger that we may lose it. It is located just a kilometer from the Azerbaijani border, it was razed to the ground. In April 2016, villagers were again attacked. Now the state is conducting a large-scale project there again, but Azerbaijan can once again raze all these programs to the ground with one shot. But, if this village receives the status of a stronghold settlement, a kind of support bastion, similar to Cossack villages, the situation will change dramatically. Only the army should be there, and behind this stronghold should be the village of Talish, which, in turn, will help the stronghold>, Babayan said.
He also noted that the "Artsakh Conservative Party" attaches particular importance to environmental safety, foreign and domestic policy. "We believe that Artsakh should continue to strengthen and expand its relations with historical partners, fraternal countries. With Russia, with Iran, with America, with Georgia, with all countries where there is an Armenian community, and with which we have had friendship relations for centuries. Because otherwise we will not be able to resist the challenges, "the presidential candidate emphasized.
Regarding his chances of winning, Babayan said: "We will strive to win. Sometimes I am asked why I have run in elections, whether my chances to win are little. This is similar to a situation when a person goes to war. Does anyone go into the army, only if 100% sure that he will remain alive? After all, he must be prepared for the fact that he can be injured or even killed. If a person is in the army only in the firm belief that he will remain alive, such an army will be incapacitated. We have entered this field without external pressure, without any assistance from outside, without any expectations. Since we have created a political party, we will participate in all the upcoming elections. We have already participated in the elections to local governments, we had two candidates for the Council of Elders and both of them passed in Stepanakert and the village of Sos. We will fight regardless of circumstances, market conditions, surveys and public opinion, "Babayan concluded.
It should be noted that on March 31, 2020, presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Artsakh.