Video: The Challenge Is Not So Much to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus, but to Ensure There Are No Deaths, Says Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, addressed the current coronavirus situation in Armenia and beyond during a Facebook live broadcast.

“Dozens of countries have reported death tolls, with the number approaching a hundred. Essentially, there is not a single country in the world that can confidently say it was prepared for the coronavirus, nor is there a country that can claim to know how long the coronavirus pandemic will last,” said the Prime Minister, noting that there are currently 194 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

“More than 70 percent of these cases are linked to the so-called Ejmiatsin and factory-related incidents, and at this moment, we have managed to halt the spread of the Ejmiatsin branch. We are now working to stop the further development of the factory branch. 78 percent of confirmed cases show no fever, 18 percent have a fever ranging from 37-38 degrees Celsius, and 1 percent of our patients have a fever above 39 degrees,” the Prime Minister reported.

According to him, they also await the effects of spring on the easing of the pandemic. “Our greatest challenge is not so much to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but to ensure that we do not have deaths, or at least minimal deaths as a result.” He emphasized that everything must be done to ensure the elderly feel secure.

“We must eliminate the gathering of the elderly in postal offices,” he noted, emphasizing that funds could be distributed to them directly.

“We have decided that we must provide broad support to our economy and entrepreneurs. We are already preparing a package to provide preferential loans to companies that will need assistance in paying salaries to their employees, fulfilling their tax obligations, importing raw materials, organizing production, and making strategic investments,” said Nikol Pashinyan.

“Tomorrow we have several consultations, one dedicated to agriculture,” added the Prime Minister, expressing gratitude to police officers, rescue service workers, and healthcare professionals.

“We are exceptional in that there is no panic atmosphere in our country,” he added, hoping that this concern will drive us toward strategic actions.