We Have a Diversity of Clusters: Health Minister Reports New Data

The Minister of Health, Arsen Torosyan, in an interview with Azatutyun today, addressed the rise in COVID-19 cases in Armenia over the past week, reporting that while the absolute numbers of virus transmission are increasing, the percentages remain the same. As the base increases, so do the numbers.

During the past week, 407 new cases were recorded in Armenia, with 253 recoveries and 6 deaths. Torosyan also explained the reasons for the increase in the rate of COVID-19 cases: 'Unfortunately, we have a diversity of clusters. That is, at the beginning of the outbreak, in mid-March, we had clear one or two, then three clusters, but afterwards the virus spread beyond those clusters and now there are dozens, sometimes twenty unrelated clusters, and we are unable to connect the dots to the original clusters. This is natural because there are many asymptomatic cases, and it is possible the infection has spread from someone who did not know they were infected,' said the minister, adding that another unfortunate direction of virus transmission is medical centers. The minister emphasized that all efforts are now focused on preventing the spread of the disease within the premises of medical centers.

Torosyan also noted that after the 14-day isolation period, positive cases are found in 10-15% of our citizens returning from abroad. There are 27 isolation facilities with medical staff of 5-10 personnel.

According to the minister, the increase in numbers is also due to greater mobility, with more traffic in the streets, inter-regional and intra-city movement, and more operational businesses.