What the State of Emergency Implies for Restrictions on Free Movement

The decision of the government to declare a state of emergency in Armenia for one month starting from April 16 entails a number of restrictions. Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan presented the annex of this decision, the first chapter of which concerns the examinations of the right of individuals to freely move and the restrictions on the movement of vehicles.

According to this, special rules are established for the entry (exit) of individuals, vehicles, the transportation of goods, other property, and animals, as well as for the presence and movement of individuals and vehicles at all checkpoints of the Republic of Armenia's state border (hereinafter referred to as the checkpoint). The entry of citizens of the Republic of Armenia into the territory of the Republic of Armenia is permitted through the checkpoint.

Entry into the territory of the Republic of Armenia is prohibited for individuals arriving from countries (regions) included in the list of epidemiologically tense situations defined by the Minister of Health, except for: 1) representatives of diplomatic missions, consular agencies, and international organizations; 2) instances where, by the decision of the commandant, considering the situation in these countries (regions), entry from the countries (regions) included in this list is allowed; 3) other special cases by the commandant's decision.

The exit of Armenian citizens through the land border checkpoint is prohibited unless otherwise provided in this annex. The restrictions outlined in points 2 and 3 of this chapter do not apply to individuals returning to the Republic of Armenia at the time of the declaration of the state of emergency, who entered the territory of the Republic of Armenia before March 17, 2020.

Upon entering the territory of the Republic of Armenia through the checkpoint, individuals are immediately subjected to special inspections aimed at identifying symptoms of infection; in the presence of symptoms, hospitalization, isolation (self-isolation), and/or other restrictive measures are implemented. If individuals refuse to undergo medical examinations, hospitalization, isolation (self-isolation), and/or other restrictive measures, they may be temporarily isolated in places designated by the commandant for examination, treatment, and to prevent the spread of infection.

Individuals arriving from countries included in the list of epidemiologically tense situations defined by the Minister of Health must be transferred to specially designated quarantine places or may be instructed to undergo self-isolation. Self-isolation is the separation of a patient or individuals who have come into contact with a patient (contacts) at their permanent residence or another location of their choice, limiting direct contact with others to prevent the spread of infection.

By the commandant’s instruction, certain restrictions may be imposed within the administrative boundaries of appropriate municipalities concerning the entry into and exit from the municipal administrative boundaries, with the exception of cases related to the supply of essential goods, necessities, food, medicines, fuels, as well as entries and exits made due to the necessity of eliminating the circumstances serving as the bases for declaring a state of emergency and other urgent matters as determined by the commandant.

Isolation (self-isolation) of individuals at their permanent residence or place of stay or another location of their choice, regulation of free movement, and the implementation of necessary control measures, as well as sanitary and anti-epidemic measures at the place of permanent residence or stay of individuals, will be part of this arrangement. In cases of suspicion of or confirmed infection in individuals, transportation of those individuals to specially designated quarantine places or to medical assistance and service organizations may occur. Inspections of vehicles and restrictions on their entry and exit will also be implemented.

The implementation of measures stemming from the special regime of entering and exiting the administrative boundaries of the respective community will be ensured by the relevant units of the Police of the Republic of Armenia (hereinafter referred to as the Police), the Ministries of Health and Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia, representatives of the Health and Labor Inspection Body, the Food Safety Inspection Body, the regional administration, and the municipal government, as well as other bodies of the public administration system at the commandant's instruction. Special checkpoints and inspection points may be established to ensure the implementation of the special regime.

Medical supervision and inspection at checkpoints and inspection points may be conducted by personnel providing medical assistance and services, representatives of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia, the Health and Labor Inspection Body, the Food Safety Inspection Body, and other bodies of the public administration system. The Police ensure the security and regime preservation at checkpoints and inspection points.