The Total Number of Coronavirus Infected in Armenia Reaches 249, One Citizen in Critical Condition: Prime Minister

Dear compatriots,
Citizens of the Republic of Armenia,
Armenia, the Armenian people, like all humanity, are going through difficult days. The new coronavirus pandemic not only continues to spread worldwide but is also gaining momentum according to the World Health Organization. There are over 350,000 confirmed coronavirus cases globally, with more than 16,000 people having died from the infection.

What do we know about the coronavirus? It is an infection that rapidly spreads from person to person through airborne droplets, affecting the human respiratory system, presenting with a dry and persistent cough, shortness of breath, and fever, which can lead to severe pneumonia. However, global and Armenian experiences have shown that a coronavirus patient may exhibit no symptoms at all. In other words, a person can be infected but not cough, have respiratory problems, or fever. In such cases, the person may not even suspect that they are carriers and would recover without any intervention, and therefore, the disease does not pose a danger to them.

The issue is that during this time, they may infect many friends, relatives, and family members. For many of them, the illness may not pose a serious risk; global experience shows that the virus is mainly safe for children and young people, with its primary victims being individuals aged 70 and older, as well as those with chronic illnesses. Therefore, the main challenge is to protect our unwell compatriots, our parents, grandmothers, and grandfathers, doing everything possible to keep them safe from infection.

Of course, the mere fact of infection is not a death sentence; over 100,000 people worldwide have successfully recovered from the coronavirus, including those over 70, with even a 95-year-old patient being reported as having recovered. However, every life is invaluable, and we must do everything to prevent cases resulting in death.

All our actions have been directed toward this from the very beginning. We halted the educational process in schools and other educational institutions not only to protect children from the virus but also to prevent the spread of infection through them. This goal is also the aim of the stricter restrictions applied later. Our task is not only to prevent the further spread of the infection but also to protect our more vulnerable groups and to prevent unbearable overload on the healthcare system.

Dear compatriots, as of 18:00 today, our statistics are as follows: we have confirmed 249 patients with coronavirus, the vast majority of whom are in the “Nork” Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yerevan, while others are in various medical facilities across the country. Some of them currently do not even have a fever, which gives hope that many will recover even without any medical intervention, and their presence in the hospital at this moment is primarily to avoid infecting other citizens.

Among our infected compatriots, there are 11 individuals aged 65 and older and 5 individuals aged 70 and older. Fortunately, we do not have any patients over 80 at this time. In total, we have 30 patients with pneumonia, 5 of whom are in intensive care, and unfortunately, the condition of one 77-year-old compatriot is critical. Four others are classified as serious by doctors.

At this moment, we have 868 isolated citizens, and over 2,419 citizens have been subjected to self-isolation at home, and I hope they all will strictly adhere to the isolation conditions. Regarding the geography of the spread of the infection, at this moment we have coronavirus cases in the capital Yerevan, as well as in Armavir, Ararat, Aragatsotn, Kotayk, Syunik, Shirak, and Lori provinces. The origins of most of these cases are known to us.

As stated previously, we have had three developing branches of the coronavirus spread: our compatriots arriving from Iran, our compatriots in Ejmiadzin, and our compatriots from a factory in Yerevan. As a result of our actions, we managed to stop the further evolution of the Iran and Ejmiadzin branches, and were fighting to prevent the further development of the Yerevan factory branch. However, the analysis of diagnoses on March 23 has shown that the Yerevan factory branch may have had uncontrolled development for us because we have recorded new cases in other factories in Yerevan and Charentsavan, leading us to conclude that we must implement much stricter restrictions for at least one week.

Accordingly, starting today and for at least one week, new restrictions are in effect in the country, meaning that thousands of enterprises will cease operations, allowing only the activities of essential organizations, and importantly, allowing only essential movements of people. Citizens going out on the streets must have a clear explanation of where they are going, and that explanation must fit within the logic of “essential movement.”

All citizens moving around must have identification documents, and the emergency response committee will establish a mandatory requirement for citizens to fill out a movement form. Regarding the list of activities and movements considered essential, the emergency response committee has already published them, and I do not find it necessary to list all cases. I will only mention that starting today and for at least one week, all restaurants and cafes will be closed, shops, pharmacies, and banks will operate, and while citizens will have the opportunity to visit shops, pharmacies, and banks, I ask you all to make maximum use of online services—online shopping, online payments, and online banking services.

Dear compatriots, I understand that many of you have no experience in using such services, but this is a great opportunity to learn these technological solutions specific to the modern world, especially since these services will undoubtedly make your life more convenient not only during the pandemic but also afterwards.

I also want to apologize to you all for these restrictions and the inconveniences caused. However, I hope it is evident to you all that this is being done for your sake and especially for the safety of the pillars of our national consciousness—our parents, grandmothers, and grandfathers.

I would like to also mention that for this purpose, all pensioners who receive their pensions in cash will not need to go to post offices this month, as pensions will be delivered at home by postal service mobile groups. It has also been established that all shops, pharmacies, and banks will serve only citizens aged 65 and older from 10 AM to 12 PM. I call on all other citizens not to shop during those hours.

My call and request to all of you is to take this situation seriously, the threats, and the restrictions, to go out only for essential needs, carrying your passport or ID card, not to gather in groups of more than two, even in yards, lobbies, or neighborhoods. And in general, strictly adhere to all instructions from the emergency response committee.

While staying at home, maintain all anti-epidemic hygiene rules and follow the instructions of the Ministry of Health. Dear compatriots, the International Monetary Fund has already noted that 2020 will be a year of decline for the global economy. According to some estimates, the downturn will be deeper than during the economic crisis of 2008-09. In Armenia's case, the forecasts are currently positive, but it is clear that we will lose the growth rate that we created through joint efforts in 2019.

But as I have said before, we perceive this situation not as a tragedy but as a new opportunity to change Armenia's positioning within the global economy, to implement our agenda of economic revolution more effectively and at double speeds. There will be a $3 trillion decline in global GDP, meaning that so much space will be freed in the global market. And we must start today to position that at least $30 billion segment exactly for Armenia, and we must solve this problem in the next five years.

This means that we must aim to occupy one percent of the freed market, and I believe we can do that. Today, the whole world is already amazed by the talent of the Armenian businessman, who has ensured that Armenia had no deficit in food and consumer goods during the most crisis moment of the coronavirus. Many developed countries cannot boast of such results. And this is thanks to our businessmen and working Armenians' ingenuity.

I would like to note that the government has developed clear steps to support our competitive and promising business sector, and the first packages will be adopted at the government meeting scheduled for Thursday. In total, the government will allocate about 150 billion drams, not just to cope with this crisis situation but to prepare our victories in a post-crisis world.

At the upcoming government meeting, we will also adopt a large-scale program to promote agriculture. As promised, all new agricultural loans provided will have their interest rates reduced to zero by the government, and special conditions will be created for real working and newly formed agricultural cooperatives. By the way, agricultural activities should not be stalled during these days, and I call on all our farmers to actively engage in spring agricultural tasks, because that type of activity is also considered essential under the decision of the emergency response committee.

I will also say that a special package will be adopted at the government meeting to neutralize potential liquidity issues of existing businesses and ensure essential liquidity, including preserving jobs and paying salaries. The government continues to work on a social support package, for which we will allocate about 25 billion drams, towards more targeted and efficient spending, and our work in all these directions will not cease.

We will continue to introduce new ideas, packages, and programs aimed at supporting work and working people during this crisis situation. This is out of question.

But I would like to draw all our attention to yet another fact and circumstance. These times of staying at home, isolating, and self-isolating are extremely suitable for reading, thinking, planning our desired future, and being filled with determination to realize that future. This is the best time for self-reflection, to rid ourselves of bad habits because it is during such moments that we realize how vulnerable we are, and what kind of challenges unhealthy lifestyles pose to us during such critical times—unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles, excess weight, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption.

I urge everyone to use this time for quitting smoking, losing excess weight, and adopting a healthy eating culture. I also urge you to take this opportunity for morning jogging, cycling, or exercising, while ensuring social distancing of at least 10 meters, and avoiding team sports for at least the next week. The emergency response committee has set this opportunity with its decision.

I encourage everyone to use this period to improve our attitude towards our homeland, our compatriots, and genuinely try to treat our homeland as a Hearth, the people as family, and our fellow citizens as family members. I urge everyone to read as much as possible, to enrich their knowledge, and to think about each of our roles in making that future ours—each of us as an individual and we as a people and a state should not seek others' pity and compassion, but respect, reverence, admiration, and love, this should be the goal of each of us—both individually and at the national state level, and this is our duty both to our ancestors and future generations, and even in the most critical moments, we should not forget that we descend from Hayk the forefather, and our name is Armenian.

And as the classic said, “Babylon was our enemy—look, it has vanished like evil mist.” The coronavirus will also pass like that evil mist, leaving behind the future that we are building today in our minds, our collective national-state consciousness.

So, keep your heads high, your spirits strong. This applies especially to our doctors, health system workers who are selflessly fighting against the infection. I extend my gratitude to all our healthcare workers, the police of the Republic of Armenia, the National Security Service, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, state agencies, private sector employees, and all volunteers who support our doctors and contribute to the fight against the pandemic. And of course, special thanks to our soldiers, officers, and generals who vigilantly guard the security of our homeland during these chaotic times.

Finally, I would like to end my statement with good news: 4 citizens who were previously infected with the coronavirus have already been discharged from hospitals, and 37 citizens are returning home from isolation. We are overcoming the coronavirus step by step. I wish health to all our infected citizens, patience to all our isolated and self-isolated fellow citizens, and rest assured we will defeat this evil.

Therefore, Long Live Freedom, Long Live the Republic of Armenia, Long Live us and our children, who live and will live in a Free and Happy Armenia. Courageous people!