2020 March 16

Anti-Corruption Daily

Mar/16/2020 -- Daily News Summary -- Chronological COVID timeline -- State of Emergency -- Healthcare Ministry takes over private sector -- Gatherings banned -- Non-citizens banned -- Referendum postponed -- and more...
by ar_david_hh

Disclaimer: All the accused are innocent until proven guilty by the court of law, even if they may sound as being guilty. Currency in Armenian Drams ֏ unless specified otherwise.

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Strasbourg elections

Armenian-French candidate Janna Barseghyan is the front-runner of Strasbourg mayoral elections. She has 27.6% while the opponent 19.8%. There will be a 2nd round.

https://factor.am/230196.html

Don't miss the Sunday COVID news

https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/fjb46a/mar152020_daily_news_summary_pashinyan/

PM about a possible emergency situation

Last night Pashinyan had a 37.1c fever after getting close to the COVID patient in Meghri. He tested negative twice. Today he'll return to work to discuss a possible Emergency Situation.

"A state of emergency wouldn't radically change your daily life, but there would be restrictions on movement like in Ejmiatsin right now... Armenia will come out of this stronger by taking advantage of the international market gap created by COVID. One of our key markets today has a $35bln agricultural gap created by COVID," said PM.

"The infected Yerevan factory employee's circle has been identified and isolated... There is no need to rush to the stores. There is enough product for everyone. As of right now, trade is only up 20%.

NSS has confirmed that if the entire country completely shuts down for 1 month, there won't be a shortage of any product, but that's an extreme scenario because cargo delivery continues either way," said PM.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183064

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183078

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183154

https://factor.am/230488.html

30 cases / Ejmiatsin / Meghri / Yerevan

2 more people tested positive with COVID. Both were already isolated for having physical contact with the Ejmiatsin wedding's super-spreader.

As or right now, 3 cities had initial spreaders: Ejmiatsin, Meghri, Yerevan. Their circles are being isolated.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183066

Armenians return from Italy / auto-quarantined

The flight carrying 67 Armenian citizens has landed in a separate area in Zvartnots airport. They were taken through an alternative exit and placed on a 14-day quarantine in a former hotel-resort building in Dilijan. (Golden Palace folks be jealous now)

vid: https://www.facebook.com/armgovernment/videos/2856770567751148/

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183068

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183080

Yerevan municipality limits contact

Yerevan city will not accept physical meetings with citizens for certain types of procedures, urges them to use online services.

Various large firms told their staff to work from home.

More universities are launching online courses.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183070

the schoolkid in Ejmiatsin

Yesterday we learned that Ejmiatsin 3rd grader had COVID.

It appears he got it from the school's nurse who attended the infamous wedding. The school nurse was earlier quarantined but apparently managed to have contact with the child first.

35 people who had contact with the child were isolated yesterday.

2 of his quarantined classmates tested negative.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183093

129 Ejmiatsin residents prevented from leaving the city

Last night the govt placed a "soft" lockdown on Ejmiatsin city to check temps of everyone leaving the city.

129 had a fever and turned back. They are isolated and being monitored remotely.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183078

cities disinfecting public places

Kapan city has joined Ejmiatsin and Yerevan to disinfect bust stops, streets, sidewalks.

VID: https://www.facebook.com/100027922389017/videos/544568983150510/

VID: https://www.facebook.com/100027922389017/videos/544569263150482/

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183116

free taxi rides for Spanish docs

The Armenian embassy in Spain has announced that the union of Armenian cabbies in Barcelona will make the trips free for doctors.

Spain has 8k wounded and 294 dead.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1008732.html

Govt will issue a special thanks to cooperative patients and doctors

Pashinyan will give some kind of an award to the COVID patient who could have become a super-spreader but instead listened to advice and self-isolated and reported the fever to govt. (this was before sh-t broke loose)

"Also special thanks to our thousands of doctors on the first line of duty who check and threat people."

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183078

Golden Palace quarantined residents publish a letter

The Iranian-Armenians who were quarantined and placed in Golden Place hotel published a letter saying:

We went about our daily lives then in a split of a second everything changed, we had to leave everything behind and get quarantined. For the first time in all these years, we felt what it's like to receive sponsorship from a State. Everything from food and services is top-notch (is this a Yelp review for the hotel, bubba?).

We thank the nurses, staff, police, Pashinyan, and the State. We're confident that we'll come out victorious from this.

End of their letter.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183100

Azeri opposition blasts govt / diasporans feel rejected

The Azeri diasporan affairs committee urged Azeri citizens not to return to Azerbaijan so "they won't overburden Azeri medical system and place their relatives at risk", says Azadlik outlet.

"This has concerned especially the young students abroad. They feel rejected by the state. This is shameful because any other state takes care of its citizens," writes the outlet.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1008817.html

medical product import tariffs removed

The EAEU held a tele-discussion and approved Armenia's recommendation to remove tariffs on medical products imported from non-EAEU states, for 6 months.

Electric car import tariffs are also removed until 2022.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183153

army in lockdown

Earlier the army banned all non-critical visits/entries to military units to protect the soldiers. They also banned gym/hall gatherings. "Don't send any parcels to your sons, for now. We give them everything necessary."

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183104

church suspends public events

The public won't be allowed to attend sermons, per Garegin B catholicos' decision. "We're praying for all of you. The sermons will be televised. Baptizing and other mass services are suspended for the public. We advise against large funeral ceremonies. Life is a divine gift of God. We must cherish one another."

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183142

300+300 quarantine

Pashinyan: currently we have 300 people in quarantine. We're preparing an area for 300 more, as the circle of contact expands.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183078

Armenia purchasing more medical air ventilators / No one needs right now

Although COVID patients are doing fine and no one needs artificial lung ventilation, things could get worse in the future. Armenia is preparing.

There are 334 air ventilators. 15 already reserved for COVID patients. 11 more to arrive from Russia this week. 10 more from China next week.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183166

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1008854.html

Pashinyan about Turkey & COVID

PM in Parliament: Turkey isn't telling us about their real COVID numbers. 83mln population and only 18 people, while Germany has 83mln and 5.6k infected. We don't have to worry too much about Turkey because the borders are closed since 1993.

(The discussion was about closing Armenian borders, which the govt did with Iran last month and with Georgia yesterday.)

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183169

travel closed with Russia

Pashinyan and Mishustin agreed to cancel flights between Armenia and Russia for 2 weeks. Citizens can return their homes.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183112

State of Emergency declared / Large gatherings / All medical facilities / Referendum postponed

PM and cabinet held a meeting and decided to declare a month-long State of Emergency.

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All private medical facilities are now under the direct command of the Healthcare Ministry. Here are some parts:

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The govt will be allowed to shut down movement inside Armenia, ban exit from Armenia, auto-quarantine anyone if necessary, etc.

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Public mass gatherings are banned. Private gatherings of >20 people (for weddings, etc.) can be banned if the Healthcare Ministry says so.

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IRS will be allowed to ban the export of important products.

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The military won't allow parcels from parents directed to sons. Soldiers cannot have visitors or leave for vacation. A similar ban in nursing homes to protect the elderly.

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All education except online is suspended. (already was)

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Govt reserves the right to ban restaurants and cafes from operating.

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Non-citizens cannot enter Armenia from countries with widespread COVID.

Non-citizens of healthy countries cannot enter Armenia if they traveled to a badly hit COVID country recently.

Non-citizens from healthy countries can enter if they have a citizen family member in Armenia.

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The land travel is banned for travelers.

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The April 5th referendum is postponed until ~mid-June.

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"A State of Emergency can only be legally declared if there is an imminent threat to Constitutional Order. The reason we didn't declare it last week is because at the time we thought Golden Palace folks were the biggest threat. In the past few days, however, we learned about more localized transmissions, which made it clear a State of Emergency is necessary," said Pashinyan in Parliament.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183124

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183138

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183158

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183152

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183151

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1008826.html

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1008827.html

PM in Parliament: https://youtu.be/D4dK-UoPfxc

45 COVID cases / 5,000 test kits available

694 tests were conducted as of late-Monday.

The total confirmed COVID cases have reached 45. A few of the new ones were not quarantined at the time of detection, prompting Healthcare Ministry to find and isolate their circles.

Another 42 patients are waiting for their results while being kept in the infections hospital.

There is no shortage of test kits with >5,000 being available. Healthcare Ministry is purchasing more. There are 3 labs qualified to handle COVID tests. A person with symptoms contacts 911, the latter contacts Ministry, the latter does a test.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183180

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183181

international press

World press reacts to Armenia's declaration of emergency:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-16/armenia-declares-30-day-state-of-emergency-over-coronavirus

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-armenia-emergency/armenian-government-declares-state-of-emergency-for-one-month-over-coronavirus-idUSKBN2131PW

http://georgiatoday.ge/news/19953/Armenia%E2%80%99s-Government-Declares-State-of-Emergency-for-a-Month

https://eurasianet.org/armenia-institutes-covid-19-state-of-emergency

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/03/16/Coronavirus-Armenia-declares-state-of-emergency.html

chronological events

45,000 people entered Armenia in 2 weeks before things got worse and the flights were canceled/auto-quarantined.

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January 30: govt forms COVID Taskforce to monitor the spread of this new virus.

February 24: no cases in Armenia yet. Govt shuts down the border with Iran. Iranian cargo drivers banned from traveling through Armenia.

February 29: Ejmiatsin super-spreader arrives from Italy. She's already infected but doesn't know yet. Later develops symptoms but hides it from govt. Attends a wedding.

March 1: Iranian-Armenians arrive. One of them tests positive. 1st recorded case in Armenia. 31 of them are placed in quarantine in Golden Palace hotel.

March 2: schools close for 1 week.

March 10: Italy declares full quarantine.

March 10: exactly 7 months since Jeffrey Epstein was suicided.

March 11: 3 new cases. Earlier they traveled to Italy.

March 12: Ejmiatsin wedding super-spreader, who came 13 days ago, is finally detected.

March 12: all schools shut down again.

March 13: Europe tightens border checks. Some countries close borders. WHO declares a pandemic.

March 14: Armenia closes border with Georgia, too, after closing it with Iran 30 days ago.

March 14: theaters and other govt-run leisure places close.

March 15: Ejmiatsin on lock-down.

March 16: more foreign travel restrictions

March 16: state of emergency. Ban on mass gatherings. Ban on foreign travel. Medical facilities under govt-control.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/183111

Italian mayor bans orgies

The mayor of Bugliano has banned orgies and gang bangs to fight Wuhan Torololoawalrus.

You know bubba, this is not very helpful. People stay home and need something to keep them busy.

https://www.queerty.com/mayor-bans-orgies-threesomes-gang-bangs-coronavirus-20200313

https://twitter.com/CBugliano/status/1237291611354288129

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Link to original report and comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/fjragh/mar162020_daily_news_summary_chronological_covid/