If it was possible to reduce the 20,000 dram test to 7,000 drams in one day, whose pocket did taxpayers' money go to? Citizen

“Our protest action is related to a number of illegalities that are rampant in the Ministry's building, one of which is the coercion of people to get vaccinated or tested, which is absurd,” a citizen stated during a protest at the Ministry of Health in Armenia, as reported by Papikinfo.

People gathered to request a meeting with the minister. The issues raised are connected to mandatory vaccination, the paid PCR testing twice a month, and the unlawful and unjustified dismissal of people as a result. Citizens insisted that today, before the minister's order came into force, some companies also reduced the cost of PCR testing for business purposes. “We have also come to support them. The ministry does not know that until now PCR testing cost 15-20 thousand drams, but now, magically, it has become 6,000-7,000 drams. This means that there have been large corruption risks in this ministry's building. If it was possible to reduce the 20,000 dram test to 7,000 drams in one day, whose pocket did taxpayers' money go to? Who embezzled it? They should be held accountable.”

The citizens note that they are responsible for their lives and health, stating that vaccinations should be a conscious decision for each individual and not coercive. They express concern that in Armenia, where the law is not functioning, the unemployment rate is disturbing, and they are confident that from October 1, the rate may rise.

“One of our demands is that people should not be forced—according to the Constitution, individuals are the masters of their own lives and health, and they have no right to impose or dismiss people from their jobs. In a state with a high unemployment rate, threatening people with dismissal shows that the government is disrespecting its citizens,” said one of the participants.

It should be noted that by order of the Minister of Health, starting October 1, employees must present a vaccination certificate to their employers or a negative result of a COVID-19 PCR test every 14 days, and those with contraindications must provide a medical note. The PCR test is paid for by the employee, and the test must be conducted within a maximum of 72 hours.