Foreign Nationals Will Be Able to Enter Armenia

Today, an extraordinary meeting of the Armenian government was held, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Before discussing the items on the agenda, Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan presented the current statistical data on the spread of coronavirus in Armenia.

“As of yesterday, we have 201 newly confirmed cases from 1710 tests conducted, which falls within the same trend we have been discussing over the past few weeks. This means that every subsequent week, the number of recorded cases is approximately 50-100 lower. The logic that we have a real opportunity to reduce these numbers remains in effect. We also see a slight improvement in the hospital system dealing with coronavirus patients in terms of both regular and intensive care beds, as well as a decrease in the number of severe and extremely severe patients,” said the minister.

Arsen Torosyan noted that the phase of overcoming the pandemic continues and the established rules are yielding results. “We hope that the pace will continue. Of course, I do not think we should aim for a zero figure. Perhaps maintaining some number around 50-100 should also be acceptable for us, as it will be very difficult to reach that zero, simply by maintaining such rules. This means learning to live with the coronavirus,” he added.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the need to trace the government’s actions related to the new type of coronavirus. “In April, when the country was practically in a strict lockdown regime for two months, we noted two things. Firstly, the social and economic problems are deepening at a very rapid pace, in April we saw a reduction of 50,000 jobs. On the other hand, we saw that however much we may seemingly maintain certain anti-epidemic rules in visible areas, in regions across the republic, particularly in less visible areas, these rules are not being adhered to at all. You may remember that when we were analyzing new cases, we recorded accumulations in specific addresses in residential areas. This means that while we are maintaining certain rules visibly, people are not adhering to those rules in their living spaces—buildings, neighborhoods, and so forth. Thus, while maintaining some rules on the front line, the situation in the background remains ungovernable.

“On the other hand, we came to the conclusion that it is impossible to solve this problem without the involvement and responsibility-sharing of citizens. We must also note that during April and May, our law enforcement agencies were not showing enough firmness to regulate these issues. And we concluded that yes, the government must bear its share of responsibility, but it is impossible to keep the anti-epidemic situation under control without citizens' participation,” the Prime Minister emphasized, stating that the government has clearly set the task: the situation must be directly communicated to the citizens, and no citizen should be left without proper medical assistance.

Pashinyan noted that during that period, the government and the Ministry of Health had practically done the nearly impossible, with funds allocated being spent purposefully and effectively. “But now what is the biggest problem? The biggest problem is that we indeed have the chance to radically solve this issue. I want to emphasize the police’s very strict work during this time. Today, what is happening is that alongside the decrease in these numbers, we have a significant increase in the number of citizens fined for not wearing masks. This indicates that the message about the decrease in numbers is being accepted too optimistically by our citizens. And our biggest problem is that if we do not assess this situation correctly right now, we could again slide back to the situation we had in July. It is clear that today we have a chance to fundamentally solve this issue. We see that in many countries around the world, the so-called second wave has started again. There are even countries that have officially declared at the highest level that they have overcome the coronavirus, but now they find themselves forced to return to very strict lockdown regimes,” the head of government stated.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that today we have the opportunity to be in a completely different situation in the autumn. “Essentially being in a situation of having overcome it, regardless of what happens in the world. This will happen if we continue to implement our strategy correctly—learning to live with the coronavirus. What this means, if we strip away all other complicated terms, is one thing—exemplary discipline in wearing masks. If we ensure an adequate level of mask-wearing discipline, we can consider that we have practically solved the issue related to the coronavirus. When I say ‘we’, I mean all of us, the citizens,” the Prime Minister stated.

Pashinyan also addressed complaints regarding citizens being fined for not wearing masks. “There is a very simple solution for this—wear a mask and do not get fined. At that time, we used to say, ‘Wear a mask, save lives,’ now I hope deaths will zero out, and we will say, ‘Wear a mask, do not get fined’ until the vaccination-related issues are resolved. And here again, our number one partner is the citizen, whom we urge, we ask, we call upon to listen. This optimistic news and the situation we are in should double our vigilance and discipline because time has shown that this discipline yields results and therefore we should not demolish the results built by our own hands. This is the agenda we need to address.

We plan to open all public education institutions, including vocational education, from September 15, while discussions regarding the higher education system are still ongoing. There will inevitably be a certain increase in numbers as a result. That is our main risk. If we properly follow the rules, the situation will remain such that the content of our conversation today will not change, but if proper discipline is not maintained, we will return to a crisis situation,” the Prime Minister noted, urging citizens to disregard all rumors regarding masks and various conspiracy theories.

The head of government also emphasized that transparency regarding information related to the coronavirus has been ensured at 100%. The government adopted a decision to extend the state of emergency for an additional 30 days, until September 11 at 5:00 PM. Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan noted that this is the fifth extension of the state of emergency, during which, however, several relaxations have been planned. The minister presented the changes regarding the decision to extend the state of emergency. Firstly, the entry ban for non-citizens of Armenia is lifted. “At the same time, it is provided that upon entry into Armenia, if the individual is not subject to hospitalization, they will self-isolate for 14 days. However, there is one innovation: during the 14-day period, it is possible to undergo a relevant test, and if the result is negative, their self-isolation mode will change,” said Rustam Badasyan.

The ban on gatherings and strikes throughout the Republic has been lifted, to be replaced by permissions but under certain conditions. Specifically, wearing a mask as specified by the Minister and maintaining social distance of at least 1.5 meters between individuals is required. Restrictions on organizing, holding, or participating in family events and recreational activities have been eased, allowing for their organization, holding, and participation in both open and closed spaces, but not more than 40 participants, while adhering to the safety rules set by the Minister.

The opportunity to impose restrictions on the transport of goods across customs borders has been lifted. For the purpose of identifying infected individuals and self-isolation, the regulations have been clarified, with the possibility of obtaining relevant data only for contacts of infected individuals and self-isolated individuals for no more than a 14-day period.

Pashinyan, addressing the decision, stated that one of the most discussed topics recently concerns freedom of assembly. “With this decision, we are essentially lifting all restrictions related to freedom of assembly, except for the observance of anti-epidemic rules. That is, there can be demonstrations, marches, rallies in the Republic of Armenia, on the condition that participants will be required to wear masks and maintain a social distance of 1.5 meters. However, if we experience an increase in numbers again as a result of these relaxations, we will be forced to reintroduce restrictions. Thus, we are proceeding from the analysis of the anti-epidemic situation. Currently, a decline is being observed, and it has become possible to ease these restrictions, or in certain areas, practically remove them,” the Prime Minister said. The government has also made changes and additions to one of the previously adopted decisions, regarding the entry ban for foreign nationals through the airport, with the need to manage the volumes of foreign nationals entering Armenia being linked to the implementation of anti-epidemic measures. Accordingly, it is projected to regulate the issuance of entry permits to Armenia, minimizing the cases of issuing permits at the border checkpoint after arrival. The goal will be to inform individuals planning to enter Armenia about the anti-epidemic conditions (self-isolation or testing options, the possibility of prior testing) prior to the issuance of entry permits, as well as to control the volumes of foreigners from approximately 70 countries before their arrival in Armenia. As a result, the provision of entry permits at the border checkpoint will only be planned for specific categories of individuals, while maintaining simplified procedures for granting entry permits for other foreign nationals (in diplomatic service bodies without invitations or through the e-visa electronic system).