Health Ministry Warns of 6,820 New Coronavirus Cases in 7 Days if Safety Rules Are Not Followed

The Ministry of Health of Armenia announced on Facebook: "As all over the world, the epidemiological situation of the coronavirus disease remains tense in the Republic of Armenia. As of March 18, 2021, there have been 181,165 cases registered in Armenia, of which 9,830 (5.4%) are receiving treatment, 167,186 (92.3%) have recovered, and 3,301 cases have resulted in death, with a mortality rate of 1.8%.

In the last 14 days, there have been 7,858 cases of the disease, which represents a 125% increase compared to the same period last year (3,487 cases). As of March 16, 2021, the reproduction number of the virus is 1.48, indicating that if safety rules are not followed by the population and businesses, particularly wearing masks in both open and closed spaces, sanitizing or washing hands with soap, and maintaining social distancing of at least 1.5 meters, approximately 6,820 new cases of the disease will be registered in the next 7 days, accounting for about 69% of the current patients receiving treatment.

Special attention should be paid to identifying contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases in closed organizations and adhering to the requirements established by the Minister of Health's order 17-N, particularly that work is organized remotely for a duration of 14 days. If remote work is not possible, it should be done on a shift basis, and if that is also unfeasible, changes should be made to working conditions in the workplace to exclude or minimize contact with other employees.