Urgent: First Case of Coronavirus Infection Recorded in Armenia - Nikol Pashinyan

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has announced via Facebook that the first case of coronavirus infection has been recorded in Armenia. The patient is a 29-year-old male citizen of Armenia who arrived on February 28 from Tehran with his wife.

The full statement reads as follows: "Dear fellow citizens, about two hours ago, we confirmed a case of coronavirus infection, unfortunately. The patient is a 29-year-old male citizen of Armenia, who arrived with his wife on February 28 from Tehran. He sought medical help himself, and his condition is good. He had a fever at the time of admission to the hospital, but he currently does not have a fever. The initial test yielded a positive result, and the results of a second test became known at three a.m. Yerevan time. It is noteworthy that the test result for the patient’s wife is negative, meaning that the virus was not detected in her. The government will take necessary measures according to the rules set by the World Health Organization.

People who have had risky contact with the patient will be quarantined. I would also like to mention that on the flight from Tehran, as we expected, there were citizens of Armenia, and we ensured their inalienable right to return to their homeland. All passengers in Tehran and on the plane were wearing masks, and they were escorted from the aircraft and at the airport in a special manner to avoid unnecessary contacts.

The border service employee who processed the entry of the patient and his wife into Armenia has been identified. Incidentally, border guards were also wearing masks and medical gloves. The taxis that the patient used to get from the airport to his home and from home to the hospital will be identified, and their drivers will also be quarantined. We will ensure high-level hotel accommodations for isolated citizens, but in separate conditions. In total, about 30 citizens will be quarantined today.

At dawn, we will discuss the issue of canceling the March 1 march at the headquarters of the Civil Contract party. My suggestion will be to cancel the march. All necessary measures are being taken to prevent the spread of the virus. Health Minister Arsen Torosyan will hold a press conference at 12:00 to announce the information known at that time. I urge everyone to remain calm, to trust only the news that is conveyed by the government and official bodies, and to apply the preventive measures recommended by the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of the infection."