COVID-19 Update (June 11)

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke first:

• We have 566 new cases in Armenia in the last 24 hours and this number is a reflection of our behavior seven to fourteen days ago.
• We continue to be convinced that the safety rules, if followed, can bring new infections down to zero.
• We will see the results of our behavior in seven to fourteen days because that is the incubation period of the virus. By our actions today, we can impact how many cases we will have in a week or two.
• The State of Emergency (SOE) will be discussed at an extraordinary (not pre-scheduled) Government session tomorrow. The SOE will be extended for another month as the underlying cause justifying the SOE has not yet been eliminated.
• The Government session will be followed by a special sitting of Parliament, where recent developments will be discussed.
• We have a chance to bring new cases down to zero in the upcoming seven to fourteen days and stop the virus in its tracks.

Tigran Gevorgyan, a doctor with the Ambulance Center spoke next:

• He thanked all those citizens who are following the anti-epidemic regulations introduced by the Special Commission and by their actions ensure that the healthcare system does not collapse.
• As a doctor working at the Ambulance Center, Gevorgyan noted that doctors are doing an enormous amount of work, which includes caring for patients in medical centers and specialized hospitals.
• According to the latest regulations, patients whose temperature is below 38 degrees Celsius and blood oxygen saturation is over 93% are not hospitalized and should receive the necessary treatment at polyclinics.
• Doctors working at the Ambulance Center are among those who are tasked with ensuring that patients with mild symptoms are being monitored by polyclinics. Since some of the Ambulance Center doctors started working in hospitals, the Center has become overloaded.
• The number of calls to the Ambulance Center has, of course, increased during the pandemic. The calls are mostly from citizens who have a fever but do not know whether they are infected with coronavirus. The increased number of calls has to do with the fact that people are concerned and do not want to infect others.
• Gevorgyan urged citizens to strictly follow the three basic rules: correctly wear a face mask, disinfect hands regularly, maintain physical distancing and avoid all unnecessary contact with other people.

Minister of Territorial Administration and Development, Suren Papikyan spoke next:

• Territorial administration and local self governance bodies (municipal governments) have been recently tasked with overseeing that safety rules are abided by during gatherings and the number of attendees does not exceed that permitted by the Special Commission. Large unpermitted gatherings, such as birthday celebrations, weddings and funerals continue to be a problem.
• This is a difficult situation to control as it involves working with citizens in very emotional circumstances.
• The Minister called on everyone to follow the instructions of the administration and the police, underscoring that they are not a whim or someone’s preference, but that it is every citizen’s obligation to help stop the spread of the virus.
• Law enforcement is closely monitoring the work of entertainment establishments where weddings are usually organized. However, a sense of personal responsibility, rather than the ban in place, should be the reason to organize events in accordance with the regulations.

Questions:
Zhoghovurd Daily, Naira Hovhannisyan: The opposition Bright Armenia Party announced that the Government’s COVID-19 strategy has failed and that they will be held accountable after the pandemic. The opposition Prosperous Armenia Party is saying that the entire government needs to be replaced, including the Prime Minister. How do you respond to such criticism?
 

Nikol Pashinyan: After we overcome the pandemic, we will need to examine the behaviour of some political forces during the crisis and how their actions affected the Government’s efforts to halt the spread of the virus. It will also be necessary to investigate and see whether some political forces have been involved in spreading disinformation. Although I do not entirely agree with the comparisons that some draw between the current situation and a war, I will say that those who pursue “destructive actions” during a war are held accountable.

In its fight against the coronavirus, the Republic of Armenia has failed as much as other countries have failed (among them very developed ones). Of course, the Government of Armenia faced problems in its fight against the pandemic, again as other governments also did. However, there are political forces in Armenia for whom life has become “brighter” or more “prosperous” because of the pandemic [referring to the opposition Bright Armenia and Prosperous Armenia parties]. Amid an epidemic, they have seen an opportunity for a revival. It is important to distinguish those who feel distressed from those who are pleased with the situation caused by COVID-19. We can evaluate the results of the Government’s fight against the coronavirus when the pandemic is over. The pandemic is not over yet.

Novosti Armenia, Yelena Davtyan: Do you admit that Armenia is losing the fight against the pandemic? What initiatives will you be taking in the future to overcome this crisis? Will the Armenian government be asking for monetary or medical assistance from the international community?

Nikol Pashinyan: I have already partially answered that question. As for asking for assistance, first and foremost we have been asking for the assistance of the citizens of Armenia and our message is the following: Help us help you and let us work together in overcoming this problem. We have asked people to do three simple things: properly wear their mask, disinfect their hands and follow the rules for physical distancing, not organize secret weddings and turn a joyous event into a family tragedy. If the numbers remain at this week’s levels, our healthcare system is now prepared to carry the burden. There are partner countries who have expressed their willingness to assist Armenia  and it is very important for us to not turn down their expression of goodwill. We believe that friends stick together through hard times and we will accept their assistance as a token of friendship, of political partnership and lastly as healthcare assistance. As part of the “crises as an opportunity” approach, we will continue to deepen and institutionalize partnerships with friends. We thank them for the assistance and are ready to offer our assistance to them in times of need.